Crowning grand champs

The 2017 Phillips County Fair 4-H Beef Show featured 14 in senior showmanship and seven in advanced junior showmanship and featured several blue ribbon steer in Market Beef.

The event took place on Friday, August 4, a cool morning that had the steers wanting to move around. The judge leaned towards the showmen who displayed complete control and while the cool weather was nice, it made things unpredictable and gave even past champions a bit of trouble.

Malta senior Kendall Koss took first place in senior beef showmanship, while Trace Simonson, a senior at Whitewater High School, took second place. Koss' trophy was in memory of Darryl Seeley. Riley Mortenson took third place.

"My steer just worked pretty well for me today," Koss said after his showmanship win. "He set up nice at the start. He gave me some problems at the end, not wanting to set still. He did pretty well overall."

Being a herd animal, Koss' steer wanted to move like the others in the pen with him at the time.

"It's a nerve wracking encounter for him being around all of these people and different steer not wanting to sit still," he said. "He kind of thinks that he wants to do the same thing (as the other steers), but he worked really well for me."

Koss shared his approach to practicing for the event, in which he would practice with his steer daily until the steer would have enough.

"The steer will tell you when he is tired of it," he said.

During the event, Judge Devin Murnin asked the showmen two questions. He wanted to know what issues the beef industry is facing as well as for an example of a Continental breed and British breed of cattle.

"Drought and market prices," Koss said. "For Continental I said Limousin and for British, I said, Angus."

Koss would later win in Market Beef, taking the Lucky Bullet sponsored Grand Champion trophy with his Charolais steer that he also displayed in his showmanship win. Koss prefers showing Charolais, a white-haired breed originally from France. The breed has now won the last two Market Beef shows.

"Charolais have bigger frames, they tend to be a little more muscular and develop quicker," Koss said. "It's just a solid Angus calf."

Koss has one more year in 4-H.

Aidan Weise took the Reserve Champion trophy sponsored by Kienenberger's Rocky Ridge Ranch with her Angus steer.

Malta Freshman Kailey Crowder took first place in advanced junior showmanship and Jaycee Erickson took second. Crowder's trophy was sponsored by the Phillips County Farm Bureau. Abri Werk took third.

Crowder also won the Advanced Junior Class last year.

"It feels really good because this year I didn't have much help doing my steer and it feels really good that I can start doing it by myself."

Judge Murnin asked the advanced junior class a different set of questions,

"I was asked where the body parts were and what cuts of beef was in it," Crowder said. "I named the steak and the hamburger."

Crowder named her Angus beef, Sam.

"My grandma said he looked like a Sam and my nephew's name is Sam," Crowder said.