Iowa State Fair-Steer Show

If anyone happens to be checking steerplanet on their blackberry while watching the steer show in Des Moines today please post updates throughout the day.  Thank you....

Faber, Freeman, Mauer, Sullivan, Ferguson. At least that is what I was informed. Grimm had ch mkt heifer and Kolhaus was reserve.

Was out for both days of the 4h show at ISF.  What an impressive lineup of champion steers and market heifers.  Champ Steer was Faber Heatwave that came from Wade Rodgers.  Reserve was Freeman's baldy, full sib to IN State Fair champ of Martin's and sold in Goretska's sale to Lautner then to Freeman.  Maurer was 3rd and came from division 1 and same class as Freeman calf.  That class was really deep and easily the stoutest of all the steer classes.  4th was Sullivan from Div 2 reseve spot.  5th was HW x Char of Ferguson's that came from Rodgers.
The Market heifer show was incredible.  class 2 was 6 deep in great ones.  Great job by all the exhibitors and the new air conditioning in the pavillion was a welcome addition.  Now the hunt begins for next year.

wtf was up with the judge & ferguson at the end. i was shocked at his "joke", and found it in VERY bad taste. 

what was said, i love gossip  O0

the judge, jary douglas, winterville, ga, had picked the top 4, and came back for the 5th. he felt nolan ferguson's steer, headed back down the line to "feel" another steer, and the entire pavillion booed. (nolan had champion steer last year, and that was announced just before the drive) douglas headed back up the line and gestured to the herford, and partly the chi, as a hilarious joke. he continued his walk to nolan, and with the slap came thunderous applause, cheering, and standing ovations. i believe that his joke was tasteless, and in very bad humor. 

btw, faber won market steers, and breeding heifers. both of which were the ugliest colored animals on the planet.

i thought it was kind of funny.  Maybe would have been less so if the steer wasn't deserving of the top 5 honor. But nearly everyone I talked to thought it was entertaining.  Douglas is an entertainer and MC in the ring as much as he is a qualified judge.  I watched him all day and I really think he was having a hard time using the Char steer because of his handle, but man was he cool and stout from the stands.  I think the crowd was pulling for the one they liked and Douglas played it up a little, but in the end gave the majority what they were after. 
I am a sucker for smokes and thought Faber's heifer was awesome colored, not to mention that she is flat GOOD!  Pretty impressive heifer show that contains 5 national champ or reserve females.  Faber (champ Char x jr nationals), Sullivan (shorthorn plus res Nat Champ, and reserve Maine nat Champ) Wilson (Maintainer Nat Champ), Leo Krse (bred and owned Angus Nat Champ)  and she didn't even win the angus division. 

I think Rodgers was involved with the Freeman steer as well.  Was the grand the same steer that won the beef expo back in Feb.?  If so he was black there what color was he at the state fair?  I wouldn't think that black color would be considered ugly on a steer.  Douglas has always been pretty arrogant and doesn't always act as he should in public and will beat someone in the showring just because he can as the judge whether it should be beat or not.  I was with a breeder at a show a few years ago who had the best bull there by far and after the show Douglas told us so but also said he wasn't going to use him because he didn't have to( the bull he used had never won his class befoer let alone a show and never did again either).  I have always thought he should stick to teaching kids how to judge 4 animals in a pen and leave the show judging to those who took it more seriously and were better qualified.  He used to be terribly slow back in the early 90's and took forever to judge a show.

afhm said:

I think Rodgers was involved with the Freeman steer as well.

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wouldn't surprise me. everyone is always somehow involved when somebody wins. (ML will be the first one to start up the celebration) rodgers is in with kohlhaas. harkema missed his 4-peat, but got in with grimm's mkt hfr.

afhm said:

Was the grand the same steer that won the beef expo back in Feb.?

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yes.

afhm said:

I wouldn't think that black color would be considered ugly on a steer.

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what do you mean?

[
btw, faber won market steers, and breeding heifers. both of which were the ugliest colored animals on the planet.
[/quote]  (Don't know how to make this purple but it is from one of your post on this topic minimoo38)
This is what I was referring to. I thought you were referring to the steer and the heifer, must have been wrong.

Russ may have missed his 4 peat, but hooray for Wade on his repeat.  He has had a heck of a year at the state fairs so far.

  Wade & Tracy were partnered up on all the flushmates, ie. Freeman, Martin's & at least one more steer. Kolhaus market heifer was bred by Randy Bair College Springs,Ia. and sold through Tracy's sale @ a very reasonable price. She was a Friction sired calf.

i believe the other flushmate was the Webster Simmental steer. I think he was 2nd in class at ISF and was Champ simmental steer at Beef Expo.  FYI the dam of the flushmates is selling 1/2 interest in Dwyer's Foundation female sale on 8/31/08.  Line Cattle selling their half and Bloomberg retianing their half.  Mary cow lot 4.  her first calf by heat wave was champ at OH state fair last year, this flush produced champ at IN, reserve at IA and the champ Sim steer at IA beef Expo.  I think the cow will probably bring a huge amount of $.  She appears to be the hottest thing going right now.

afhm said:

[
btw, faber won market steers, and breeding heifers. both of which were the ugliest colored animals on the planet.

Click to expand...

  (Don't know how to make this purple but it is from one of your post on this topic minimoo38)
This is what I was referring to. I thought you were referring to the steer and the heifer, must have been wrong.
[/quote]


oops. brain's faster than the fingers. i meant to say that ferguson's steer and faber's heifer were the ugliest ones. (i was going to paste it into another part of my reply.)

anyone going to the sale of champions?

For anyone that has seen him judge what does Jary Douglas look for in steers and heifers? Does he use as many colored calves as black ones? Sorry for getting of topic  :

Sad to say but douglas looks at the halter more than the calf.  I have wondered before when watching him judge how he ever turned out the winning judging teams that he did.  he obviously doesn't practice what he preaches.

Don't mean to stir the pot, and I certainly can understand that everyone has their favorites in these big time deals, but I think the top 5 were pretty easy to follow and I sure agreed with how Douglas picked em.  The Faber calf was very complete.  Not the hairiest or prettiest one out there. but from a width, soundness, completeness standpoint he was my clear favorite as well.  Prettier and stouter than the Freeman steer, smother shouldered with more flank than the Sullivan steer, more shapely than the Maurer steer, better handle than the Ferguson steer.  I think each of the steers in the top 5 had an advantage in one trait, but for me the Faber calf was the most complete.  I found him very easy to follow in the steers and i think he ended up with the same kind of decision in the market heifer show. 
As far as the halter statements go, I think we find ourselves making these statements without thinking about the big picture.  Sure, the same families tend to stay on top, but there are reasons for it.  More money, better cattle, work harder, better presented, better showman, etc.  May be any and all of these factors.  It sure sounds like sour grapes when people make these statements.  If not, state the reasons why you think another animal was better.  I hear or read that this calf or that calf should have one and it was "political"  If you disagree with the judge on his placings, and want to vent about it, I am ok with it, but give me some supporting statements.  I am ranting now, and of course this is JMHO.
Chap