A winner and record-breaker is not a bad combination to have, but it’s even better when you're only 12 years old.
“It’s kind of sinking in,” said 2017 Grand Champion Lillie Skiles at the Junior Livestock Auction.
Skiles has been raising and showing heifers and steers professionally for about three years. She won the championship title on Friday with a steer she named Foo.
This is not a solo project, it’s a family affair.
“It's emotional for our whole family and we do this as a whole family and we are all supportive of Lillie,” said Lillie’s mother, Krista Skiles.
Lillie lives in Stratford, Texas and says raising and caring for livestock runs through her blood.
“My dad’s a veterinarian, and he has his own farm and feed yard and we have our own barn,” Lillie said.
She believes in hard work and puts in countless hours raising the animals. Her work doesn’t stop at the farm, she also has to balance her school work.
Luckily, her mother says her school really works with her schedule.
“They send her homework with her and she does it on the car ride down here,” Krista said.
Like many of the kids showing in the competition, they become attached to the animals they raise. But Lillie understands her steer is not coming home after the show.
“It’s really sad giving him away, but it’s really exciting that I’m getting money for my college,” she said.
Lillie may not be sure what she wants to major in yet, but she knows one thing that she wants to do.
“I really want to play basketball in college,” she said.
She also wants livestock and animals to be part of her future. After setting a record auctioning her steer for $135,000, it seems as though anything is possible.
