The economy put a big hit on the Junior Livestock Auction on Friday night at the National Western Stock Show, Rodeo & Horse Show.
This year’s champions brought from 30 percent to 83 percent of the prices paid last year. The biggest disappointment was the grand champion steer. Auctioneers coaxed and coaxed the well-heeled crowd but could pull a winning bid of only $50,000.
That came from Karen Kuchar-Krause, who has owned Emil-Lene’s Sirloin House for 14 years. She was joined by Dick Ames, owner of Ames Construction Co., which built a portion of Denver International Airport.
After the sale, Kuchar-Krause admitted that steers don’t make very good steaks. “They’re not corn-fed, so the fat content isn’t that high,” she said.
Chavez was the fourth grand champion she has purchased, along with two reserve champions. Asked why she would spend so much on a steer she wouldn’t serve on a plate, she said, “To help the kids with their scholarships.”
Damian Jenkins, manager of the downtown Elway’s, and Jeff Papp, director of sales for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, watched anxiously from the bleachers as Emil-Lene’s topped the bidding.
“We’ll be back next year,” Papp said.
Last year’s champion steer brought in $110,000, which Jim Basey, a veteran buyer and organizer for 15 years, said was “an exceedingly good price.”
“We expected the prices to be lower this year,” he said. “This is a great way for the community to support agriculture and that way of life.”
Ky Stierwalt, the 18-year-old from Leedey, Okla., who raised the steer, wasn’t complaining.
“This is the big one for me,” he said with a shy smile, while holding the nose ring of the 1,295-pound, 1 1/2-year-old steer. “The economy is down, so it’s OK. We’ll do it all again.”
With the money he earned, he hopes to go to Oklahoma State University.
His 15-year-old sister, Kyra, raised the grand champion lamb, Maverick, which she sold to Joe Blake and the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce for $25,000. She plans to attend OSU at Stillwater.
The eight reserve and champion livestock animals represented the cream of the animal crop shown by exhibitors younger than 19. Collette Ratcliffe, who has worked on the auctions for 19 years, said nearly 100 animals were auctioned Friday night. Ninety percent of the winnings go to exhibitors as scholarship money. The stock show’s share of 10 percent goes to its scholarship program.
Mike McPhee: 303-954-1409 or mmcphee@denverpost.com
