Alex Smith of Mayde Creek High School made her senior year special.
She earned grand champion lamb for the second consecutive year at the Katy ISD FFA Livestock Show and Rodeo.
In the Saturday auction, the bid for the lamb was $4,200 compared with $6,000 paid in 2009.
"We're lucky," said Smith referring to the Katy Independent School District students in the FFA program.
"We're fortunate to have this many buyers here to support us," Smith said, in light of today's economy.
As to her success, she attributed it to her breeders, FFA teachers and her parents.
"It's all about teamwork," she said.
Other grand champion winners and their bid prices were: William Michael of Seven Lakes, $5,000 for grand champion rabbit; Keaton Hruzek of Katy, $4,500 grand champion broiler; Brit Henderson of Katy, $4,000 for grand champion goat; Rachel Reyes of Cinco Ranch, grand champion pig; and Trace Summerford of Katy, $22,000 for the grand champion steer. The bid price for the grand champion rabbit was the same as in 2009. The other bid prices this year were $2,000 to $3,000 less than last year.
But Joe Bochat, Seven Lakes High School agriculture teacher, said he was very satisfied after the sale.
“The show and sale were comparable to last year’s show and sale and we did exceptionally well last year.”
For example, in 2008, the grand champion steer sold for $11,500 at auction. Last year, the grand champion steer sold for $24,000.
The total for the livestock show this year was $473,019, said Steve Stanford, district spokesman, on Thursday. That total includes the live auction, barn sale and add-on donations combined. Last year was approximately $445,000 and the year before that was about $325,000, he said.
Last year, Bochat said he was impressed by the community support and how the district’s sale numbers were up compared with everyone else.
“This year what impressed me was the fact our community works so hard to support these kids in the barn sale,” he said.
Only the top 112 students had their animals sold at live auction. The rest of the students sell their animals at the barn sale, which has set limits. Pigs, lambs and goats sell for $350 each while steers sell for $1,750. The barn sale price for rabbits and chickens is $100 apiece. In contrast, for example, the market price for a pig is $50, he said.
“The community stepped up to support these kids,” Bochat said, adding that the number of participants increases each year. The barn sale allows students to recoup some of their costs and show again next year. Bochat figured students who raise pigs, lambs or goats probably have $600 invested in their project.
“They put in the work and a tremendous amount of time and effort,” he said.
That group might include 15-year-old Joshua Santana, a first-year FFA student at Mayde Creek High School. He raised rabbits and said he came in last place. But, he plans to return next year and maybe raise a pig.
“I know next year will be better,” he said, explaining he now knows the system and what he needs to do.
To Bochat that speaks volumes about the program.
“Unfortunately, we have kids who have shown for four years and never made the live auction sale,” he said. Their continued participation on the program “has everything to do with them as kids and people wanting to do well,” Bochat said.
Seven Lakes students continued to do well, especially with rabbits. For the third consecutive year, a Seven Lakes student raised the grand champion rabbit at the show.
Reid Rabalis, who raised the grand champion broiler chicken last year, returned to the winner’s circle with the reserve champion broiler, which sold at auction for $3,500.
Other winners were: Matt Mayzer, of Seven Lakes, reserve champion rabbit; Garrett Hill of Morton Ranch, reserve champion goat; Kelsie King of Morton Ranch, reserve champion lamb; Ryan McLane of Morton Ranch, reserve champion pig; and Michael Morrissey of Morton Ranch, reserve champion steer.