As the 2024 Fort Worth Stock Show drew to a close on Saturday, the always popular Junior Sale of Champions drew a full house of enthusiastic bidders and spectators to the Will Rogers Memorial Center’s W.R. Watt Arena and produced a big payday for Dalhart resident Elli Bezner, whose Grand Champion Steer sold for an eye-popping $340,000.
Fort Worth insurance, financial and HR services firm Higginbotham made the winning bid for the second year in a row, this time buying a 1,324-pound European Cross named “Leadfoot.” Higginbotham paid a record-breaking $440,000 for last year’s grand champion.
Bezner, a 17-year-old Dallam County 4-H member whose father Stephen Bezner showed the grand champion in 1991, said she’ll use the proceeds of the sale for college and is leaning toward attending Texas A&M.
FWSSR officials said this year’s Junior Sale of Champions generated a record $8.2 million for the 288 youth exhibitors from across Texas who came to Fort Worth to show their livestock at the 2024 Stock Show & Rodeo.
“The response from our local community is simply amazing,” said FWSSR General Manager Matt Carter. “Their efforts underscore a strong commitment for these hard-working young men and women and their educational and agricultural pursuits.”
The Reserve Grand Champion Steer was shown by Mattison Koepp, an FFA member from LaVernia, Texas, and purchased by Ed and Sasha Bass for $230,000.
Other sales also delivered impressive prices.
The Grand Champion Wether Lamb, a Medium Wool Crossbred shown by 4-H member Landrie Lain from Weatherford, was purchased by LKCM Headwater, LKCM Capital Group and Distribution Solutions Group for $100,000. Grace Moore, a 4-H member from San Angelo, exhibited the Reserve Grand Champion Lamb that sold for $90,000. Ladies on the Lamb purchased Moore’s Medium Wool Crossbred.
Brett Bowers, an FFA member from Fredericksburg, Texas sold the Grand Champion Wether Goat for $35,000 to Susan and Stephen Butt. The Reserve Grand Champion Weather Goat was exhibited by Zane Walker, a 4-H member from Ovalo, Texas and drew a winning bid of $20,000 from Luther King Capital Management and the U Ol’ Goat buying group.
The Grand Champion Barrow, a Hampshire shown by Montgomery 4-H member Kamlynn Mason, went for a final bid of $35,000 from Standard Meat Company. Double Eagle Energy topped the bidding at $30,000 for the Reserve Grand Champion Barrow, exhibited by Elin Rivera, an FFA member from De Leon, Texas.
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.