Saying goodbye to a show animal is tough for any kid.
Raising a prize steer or heifer is a months-long obligation for 4-H and FFA kids. Oftentimes they wake up early to do chores and come home from school and do more. Over time, bonds grow.
Yesterday was particularly hard for Hardin 4-H student Caithlyn McDaniel, who was showing for the first time. While her commercial heifer named Cupcake didn’t fetch the top prize in the TVE Livestock Show, Cupcake was included in the premium sale and purchased by First Liberty National Bank President Kelly Stretcher for $5,500. However, instead of keeping the animal, FLNB gave the heifer back to McDaniel.
Her cousin, who was with her, said she had been crying about having to sell the heifer because she had grown attached to it. So naturally she was ecstatic about getting to keep it.
When McDaniel what she was going to do with her heifer now that it was still hers, she said, “We’re going to use it to make babies.”
In addition to McDaniel’s heifer, FLNB purchased quite a few other animals yesterday. A separate article on the TVE youth livestock auction will be posted later.
