State Fair of Texas grand champion steer sells for record $155K at auction

DALLAS - The grand champion steer at the State Fair of Texas Youth Livestock Auction sold for a record $155,000 Friday afternoon.

The steer, named Oscar, was raised by Mikala Grady, from Grandview, south of Fort Worth.

Grady, a high school senior, gets a portion of the money and the rest goes toward the State Fair Scholarship Fund.

The same goes for the hundreds of other animals sold at the auction.

Thousands of students have their animals judged at the fair, but less than 400 winners make it to the auction, where businesses are generous and supportive with their bids.

"They're walking away with an extreme amount of responsibility that these animals have taught them,” State Fair of Texas Livestock Director Makayla Cromwell said. “They're waking up, feeding them twice a day, making sure they get exercise, and are fed and watered. They're learning time management, character building. These animals depend on them and it is teaching them a great deal of responsibility."

This was the 71st annual Big Tex Youth Livestock Auction at the fair.

Since the auction began, it has generated more than $27 million for students and scholarships, including $1.5 million at this year’s auction.