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The Warren K. Brown Show arena was busy as Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s 4-H Beef Project participants gave it their all at the 4-H Market Steer and Beef Breeding Show, judged by Robert Groom.

The 4-H Beef Program offers a market steer tract and a beef breeding tract. 4-H members can be part of one or both of these programs. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s 4-H youth in the Beef Project have been gaining knowledge and raising animals since October in preparation for this year’s Chautauqua County Fair. Animals can be unpredictable and steers in particular are more than 10 times the weight of their handlers.

Hope Catanese received the high honors of grand champion steer showman. Corinne Covert followed right behind with reserve champion steer showman. Kelsie Jackson also won supreme champion female, and Alyssa Crandall won reserve champion female with their heifers. Other winners were found among the prize winning livestock. Grand champion heifer showman went to Steven Overend followed by Samantha Newman as reserve champion heifer showman. Among the market classes, awards were given not just to grand champion Corinne Covert and reserve champion Jesse Kwilos, but also to Michael Kibbe for the highly commended market steer. That was followed by Holly Crandall with a commended market steer.

Winning titles helped 4-H members earn a sale position in the meat animal sale. Grand and reserve market animals earned the first and second slots in the beef portion of the sale. Other 4-H members that have multiple animals in the Market Steer project are required to sell only their top placing animal.

The average cost of raising a steer to sell is about $2,500, which includes the cost of the amount of the feed and expenses.