On a weekend when the music industry’s Grammy awards paid tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop only to be blasted by rapper Snoop Dogg for never giving him a trophy, the hip-hop legend’s name was celebrated in a very different arena: a European Crossbred steer called Snoop Dogg sold for a record-breaking $440,000 at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo’s Junior Sale of Champions.
The sale’s 1,343-pound Grand Champion Steer was raised and shown by 15-year-old Sadie Wampler, a 4-H member from the Panhandle town of Canyon, and purchased by Fort Worth insurance broker Higginbotham and Associates as the Stock Show drew to a close on Saturday (Feb. 4).
Snoop Dogg’s sale during the annual Junior Sale of Champions auction held in the West Arena of the Will Rogers Memorial Center’s Richardson-Bass Building shattered the previous record of $310,000 set just last year by Sterling City 4-H member Tristan Himes’ European Crossbred steer named, mundanely enough, Steve.
Generating an all-time high of $7.3 million in receipts – money raised by area individuals, business and foundations – the net proceeds of the junior auction eclipsed last year’s total by $1.2 million. Since the 2020 auction, Junior Sale of Champions revenues have increased by more than 35%.
“I’m continually amazed at the hard work our volunteers devote to supporting the youth of Texas,” Stock Show President and General Manager Brad Barnes said. “Their efforts underscore the tremendous generosity of the wonderful donors here in the Fort Worth area.”
This year’s Reserve Grand Champion, or runner-up, was Maverick, owned by 12-year-old Mason Grady, a 4-H member from Grandview. Maverick sold for $200,000 to Hillwood. It was Grady’s second straight year to show the Reserve Grand Champion, having done so in 2022 with a steer named Bugsby, which sold for $190,000.
The Grand Champion Barrow, a Crossbred shown by Burkburnett FFA member Brynn Fort, went for a final bid of $120,000 from Rosenthal 1997 Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Penrose Group, Standard Meat Co. and Syracuse Sausage. Steven Luskey topped the bidding at $50,000 for Barrow, exhibited by Kenley Krohn, a FFA member from Lamesa.
The Grand Champion Wether Lamb, a Medium Wool Crossbred shown by 4-H member Graham Newsom from Olton, was purchased by J. Bryan King, Caroline Carter King, Mary Katherine King and Gexpro Services for $75,000. Landrie Lain, a 4-H member from Weatherford, exhibited the Reserve Grand Champion Lamb that sold for $70,000. The Patrick O. Rayes Family Partnership purchased Lain’s Medium Wool Crossbred.
In wether goats, the Grand Champion was shown by Blaze Mock, a 4-H member from Comfort and sold for $40,000 to Test Equity, Gexpro Services, Distribution Solutions Group and Lawson Products. The Reserve Grand Champion Wether Goat was exhibited by Shepherd Silvers, a FFA member from Junction and fetched a winning bid of $17,500 from Susan and Stephen Butt.
In all, approximately 300 steers, lambs, barrows and wether goats were auctioned at the event.
The Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate, along with Women Steering Business, Band of Barrows, U Ol’ Goat Committee, Ladies on the Lamb, and the Tallest Hog at the Trough Syndicate were responsible for the purchase of all animals offered in the Junior Sale of Champions.
The Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate has raised more than $70 million for youth exhibitors since its inception in 1980.