Valley ag students finish week with steer judging at livestock show

MERCEDES — The Chianina steers with their gleaming white coats trudged behind the students leading them through the barn toward the arena.

Friday morning had arrived at the 85th annual Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show and Rodeo. Excitement still ruled the air. Steers moved toward the arena and into the arena where 4H and FFA students would present the result of their months of labor.

The ABC steers had just finished their judging, and Manuel Chapa’s steer had just won his event.

“I am excited,” said Manuel, 17, a junior at Mission High School.

“I am happy about it, I put a lot of hard work and dedication into it,” Manuel said. “It took a lot of practice, a lot of work everyday, about two hours a day.”

Students had begun showing their heifers and their bulls and their calves since Thursday, and Mia Quintanilla had just won second place in the Simbrah Light Weight event.

“I am very happy about it,” said Mia, 17, a senior at PSJA High School.

“I just kept up with his food plan and walked him,” she said.

Kiran Abrigo on Friday morning had arrived at 9 a.m. to hand out ribbons as part of her duties as the Second Runner Up Cover Girl for the livestock show.

“I started my morning in the steer barn and handed out ribbons and congratulated all the exhibitors,” said Kiran, 16, a junior at McAllen High School.

She had also won second place Wednesday in an event with her Brahman breeding calf.

“I have enjoyed all the experiences of the show and all the camaraderie,” she said. “The RGVLS brings people from all over.”

The livestock show is a pivotal activity in the lives of many young people seeking direction in their world. While many start at about age 3, others wait until their later years in high school before choosing to participate.

That’s what Manuel did. He had been active in football until his freshman year when he chose to compete in livestock show.

“I had always been around livestock show animals,” he said. “The first year I did a steer and a duroc hog.”

This is the first year he won first place, after switching up his game a little and changing his technique. He plans to compete again next year and then attend welding school after graduation.

Now the Chianina steers were taking their turn, and Adrian Gonzalez was wishing a student well as she led her animal toward the arena.

“She’s been keeping up with her feed and then watering and then doing a drench protocol,” said Gonzalez, the agriculture advisor at Vela High School in Edinburg.

The drenching protocol is the giving of liquids filled with electrolytes and sugar to make the animal look fresh and feeling good.

Perhaps that’s why the Chianinas all seemed to shine as they entered the ring.

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