Friday afternoon, the Grand Champion Market Steer was ushered into the arena at the State Fair of Texas to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Grand Champion Steer," the voice over the loudspeaker said as the bidding started. "Sold steer, $75,000!"
"I've been ready for that moment my entire life," Zane Potter said. Potter raised the winning crossbred steer. "I've learned you can't give up. No matter what happens, what you're going through, you can't give up."
The pandemic canceled many livestock shows, but the State Fair of Texas figured out a way to hold the Youth Livestock Show.
"I know not very many people get to show this year because of the circumstances," Brynlee Hogg said. Hogg raised the Grand Champion Market Lamb. "I'm just so thankful to be able to be out there. It was a great time!"
"We were concerned about bringing people together," Senior Vice President of Agriculture and Livestock Daryl Real said. "When life gives you lemons, you gotta made lemonade. You have to learn to pivot."
The fair cut down the number of livestock at the live auction. The audience in the stands was limited, too, for social distancing. Everyone in the stands was required to wear masks.
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Though the livestock did not sell for as much as their counterparts last year, the fair expected to raise $1-million for the kids who raised the animals and the fair's scholarship fund.
"It's about giving to kids, right," Real said. "Good, hard-working kids that pour their hearts into it."
