First-year steer sweeps competition

In her first year showing a steer, a Columbia Falls teen hit the mark.

Kaitlyn May was awarded Grand Champion senior showmanship and Grand Champion market beef at the Northwest Montana Fair last week.

“Showmanship is more about my performance, how I handle my animal,” May said, “and the market beef is about his quality overall.”

This steer was the 17-year-old’s first, though in her seven-year 4-H career she has shown sheep and hogs.

“I wanted to do all of the market animal projects before graduation,” May said of her choice to raise a steer this year.

“I wanted the challenge. It took a lot of hard work, but it was a great experience and I would not change a thing,” she said.

Raising a steer is a financially demanding project.

“That’s my college fund,” May joked, gesturing at her steer.

Although her 4-H career will end with high school graduation, this is something that May hopes to pursue in her future, she said.

May got her steer in November when it was about 10 months old. He weighed 700 pounds at his first weigh-in in December. He now weighs 1,472 pounds.

Along with the other livestock shown at the fair, May’s steer was sold Saturday at auction. The steer was purchased by Diamond Plumbing & Heating for $7,728.

May will be sorry to see him go.

“I’ll definitely cry,” May said last Tuesday.

However, she will be getting another steer in a couple more months.

It was quite a shock sweeping the competition her first time raising a steer, and May said it hasn’t quite sunk in.

“It’s amazing. My whole entire 4-H career it’s what I’ve been working for. It’s so humbling. Lots of hard work has definitely paid off.”

Competing on Wednesday were Cainen Erickson, 12, and Octavius Christiansen, 9, both of Columbia Falls. Both boys were showing hogs for the first time.

“I think it’s amazing,” Erickson said of his first pig. “The hardest part is teaching them to follow the stick. They don’t like being hit, so sometimes they just go the opposite way.”

In preparing to show his pig later in the afternoon, Erickson said, “I hope he doesn’t run off, and he just stays by me. I hope he doesn’t get in a fight, but he probably will.”

“My favorite part is taking care of them in the morning and getting up early,” Christiansen said about getting up at 7:30 a.m. to clean the pen and feed his hog.

Christiansen is hoping to raise a steer next year. Kids have to be at least 10 years old to raise a steer according to 4-H rules.

May, Erickson and Christiansen are all members of Grandview Supreme 4-H Club. Grandview Supreme is one of the oldest clubs in the valley, established in 1929, according to Carol Olson, a parent who had three children also competing with Grandview Supreme.

“4-H is amazing. It teaches responsibility. Financial responsibility, chore responsibility, and money management,” Olson said.

Those lessons in money management become particularly evident when the money they receive at auction for this year’s animals are used to purchase another animal for next year.

“The average steer will go for $4,500, but it will have about $3,000 invested in it,” Olson said. By contrast, she estimated that a hog will sell for about $1,200 but have about $500 invested in it.

What’s really great about 4-H is that it offers the kids perspective.

“These kids know, when you walk into a grocery store, they know from beginning to end where their food comes from,” Olson said.