Meet Spud, the 2007 Grand Champion Steer

KUSA - For the past two weeks 9NEWS has highlighted many of the events taking place at this year’s National Western Stock Show. Friday, the focus turned to the Junior Livestock Auction and some of the children and teens participating this year.

9NEWS spoke with Lance Unger of Carlisle, Indiana. Unger is a freshman at Purdue University and also this year’s Junior Market Beef Champion.

Unger’s steer, Spud, won first place and will be auctioned off Friday evening. Weighing over 1,300 pounds, Spud sold for $80,000 during the auction. He was bought by the Emil-Lene's Sirloin House.

You can watch the auction by clicking here.

Unger says says he will use the money to help pay for his education. He is currently studying Farm Management and plans to return to his family farm after finishing his degree. Unger added that any remaining money will be put toward a beef operation for his family’s farm.

Participants from all over the country competed in this year’s Junior Market Steer Show. Hopeful winners entered the contest early in June and spent endless amounts of time and energy preparing their steer for competition.

“You have to put in a lot of time and effort to make it out here and it is just a great honor to win the show,” Unger said.

Not only did Unger spend time exercising Spud and preparing him for the ring, he says he worked daily on keeping the steer well groomed.

“It takes a lot of work. You have to wash him every day and you have to blow-dry him out to make his hair look good. You need to put conditioner in his hair like most people do,” added Unger.

Unger says he is sad to see Spud go, but has enjoyed the experience and is honored to have won.

Spud did have one last celebration with his owner Friday during one of the more unusual traditions of the stock show. Spud spent the afternoon inside the lobby of the Brown Palace Hotel.

Guests enjoyed viewing the 2007 Grand Champion steer at the ritzy hotel. Spud was even given his own roped off area to allow for optimum viewing.

For more information about the National Wester Stock Show visit http://www.9news.com/company/promo/nwss/.