The State Fair of Texas just wrapped up one of its most heartwarming traditions with a record-shattering result: more than $2.7 million raised for Texas students through the Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction and Scholarship Programs.
On Friday, October 2, inside the Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center at Fair Park, more than 600 young exhibitors took center stage for the annual auction, held on the second Friday of the Fair. The star of the show was “Roger,” the Grand Champion Market Steer raised by 16-year-old Jett James of Wise County 4-H, who sold for a record $227,000 to longtime Fair donor Frank Deel and Family along with the Big Tex Champion Club. With 442 steers competing in the Youth Market Steer Show, Roger’s win was no small feat.
The good news kept coming: Brindley Boston of Ellis County 4-H sold her Reserve Grand Champion Market Steer for $76,000, and the grand champions in the barrow, lamb, goat, and broiler categories all earned impressive bids too. And here is the best part: 100% of every dollar donated goes directly toward helping Texas students pursue their educational dreams, because the Fair organization covers all operating costs of its fundraising programs itself.
A standing ovation for the young exhibitors, the generous donors, and the hundreds of volunteers whose year-round dedication makes this beloved Texas tradition shine brighter every year.
Photo: State Fair of Texas
