Video: NWSS History and the Dyed Charolais Steer Controversy

This video aired on RFD-TV as part of the I am Angus show. It's my favorite part of the show. The historian talks about how the National Western Stock Show got started, stories of the Grand Champion Steer at the Brown Palace and the Charolais steer, in the 70s, that was dyed black and shown as an Angus. Hope to see lots of you in Denver soon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0HgyqO9Qi4

To see more videos from the RFD-TV I am Angus program visit www.youtube.com/apicreativemedia

Big Mac- the good old days , if my memory serves right Gary Minish from Virginia was the judge, they wouldn't let cross steers show back then , one thing I remember clear as a bell is that we were tied out at night next to BIG MAC  before he was named Champion , an while doing chores I remembered that when Big Mac took a _ _ _ _ it would snap, crackle & pop rolling out on the hair , an at the time wondered what caused it, but had other things to do ... When Big Mac was discovered  it didn't take long to figure out why he Snap-Crackled  & popped....He was a good looking steer .....

If I remember correctly wasn't he owned by Eldon.  That story makes me laugh every time I hear it!

Ya know....looking at this from a little different angle.....for those of us that have ever tried to dye a white leg or white belly or white ANYTHING.......with today's modern "skin friendly" hair dyes, fully realizing how TOUGH it is to get a GOOD JOB done on one.......I can't imagine how much time it would have taken to do a WHOLE CALF and get him that good!!! (WITHOUT blistering his hide)  Those older dyes were NASTY!

Taking the illegal part out of the equation.......KUDOS to the boys in the clippin room.......if they're STILL ALIVE! lol

jbh said:

Ya know....looking at this from a little different angle.....for those of us that have ever tried to dye a white leg or white belly or white ANYTHING.......with today's modern "skin friendly" hair dyes, fully realizing how TOUGH it is to get a GOOD JOB done on one.......I can't imagine how much time it would have taken to do a WHOLE CALF and get him that good!!! (WITHOUT blistering his hide)  Those older dyes were NASTY!

Taking the illegal part out of the equation.......KUDOS to the boys in the clippin room.......if they're STILL ALIVE! lol

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I have a hard enough time getting a white flank blank enough, let alone the whole thing.  Who knows, they may have had some good stuff back then (kind of like a all of the old pesticides that have since been outlawed).

Is there a website to watch these shows in there entirety,we don't get that channel in the great white north

anyone know what day the steer is at the Brown Palace?

If you go to www.youtube.com/apicreativemedia you can see all the videos. Or search "I am Angus - RFD-TV" on Youtube.com.

It is interesting that someone mentioned the char steer that won Denver while dyed black. A distant relative of mine named Wayne Otte, bought that steer after the Senver show. He hauled it atound and displayed it at many cattle functions here in Iowa. The steer was a chocolate, and I suppose was easier to dye than a white one.  I saw him at the Page County Fair that next summer. He was weighing nearly a ton at that time. I believe he died of old age at Wayne's farm near Clarinda, Iowa. No char had ever won a major at that time because steers were shown by breeds then. No chars. Earl

Didn't that steer come from IA?  Around Spencer maybe?

I was thinking that Joe Lewis finally used a crossbred steer first in Denver then I think he used a shorthorn steer in say the 80'S....wich was the first"purebred" used in a while.

aj said:

I was thinking that Joe Lewis finally used a crossbred steer first in Denver then I think he used a shorthorn steer in say the 80'S....wich was the first"purebred" used in a while.

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I think that is was Dr. Good from KSU

|Might be. I was thinking the first exotic semen was imported in late 60's and 70's then all hell broke loose.

Dr. Don Good, KSU, selected Conoco the first crossbred steer to win a major back in 1969.

The Conoco I know of was not shown in Denver. His win was in Chicago if I'm not mistaken.

If I am correct a picture along the skeleton of conoco, is on display at KSU

he was the first x'bred steer to ever win anything major...  Wasn't he a YG1, High Choice or something like that? 

I wanted to bump this post up because I just realized it is less than a month until I'll be in Denver for Stock Show! I love this history piece that we did last year, and there will be another NWSS history piece in the January 3rd I am Angus show on RFD-TV.

the truth you are right there is still a picture of Conoco hanging the K-State Animal Science building.

crystal.cattle said:

I wanted to bump this post up because I just realized it is less than a month until I'll be in Denver for Stock Show! I love this history piece that we did last year, and there will be another NWSS history piece in the January 3rd I am Angus show on RFD-TV.

the truth you are right there is still a picture of Conoco hanging the K-State Animal Science building.

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pretty sure his skeleton is there as well. 

It may be that steers skeleton but the one that is prominently on display in the Weber Lecture hall is alot older than the early 1970's and that is the only one I know about.

I still think that Joe was the first to knowingly use a crossbred steer in "Denver". Then he used a straight shortie like 20 years later in Denver. It was kind of a full circle deal. Then it seemed like the kids dad died or something(the shorthorn deal).