BY KENDRA ELDER, TEXAS A&M
Eighteen-year-old Abby Bell exhibited the Grand Champion Market Steer at the American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri that sold for a record $280,000 in the premium auction this past month. Her grey crossbred steers name was Chester.
“After I heard the auctioneer say ‘and that is a record folks’ I looked at my sister (Ruby Bell) with tears of joy in my eyes,” Abby said. “I owe all of my thanks to The Patterson Foundation for generously purchasing Chester.”
Abby is the daughter of Steven and Julie Bell and has three younger siblings - Ruby, Tate and Hadlie. Her family runs and operates Bell Cattle Company in Bristow, Oklahoma where they run 450 head of purebred, composite and commercial cattle. She is a senior at Bristow High School and plans on attending Oklahoma State University next fall.
“Chester was really special to my family and I,” Abby said. “We have worked really hard to win a market steer show title at the national level for many years.”
Abby said with all of the uncertainty in the world today she is grateful that the American Royal pushed through all of the obstacles for the exhibitors.
Starting at the age of 11 with zero showing experience, Abby learned that hard work, dedication and perseverance makes for a well-rounded showman.
“A good showman shows up and shows out.” she said.
Preparing a livestock project for a show takes lots of time and she stays on a strict schedule day in and day out on her steer and heifer projects. In the mornings, the calves are fed, blown out, rinsed and sheened. In the evenings, the process is repeated. And all of that is nothing compared to show day, which begins with a 4 a.m. wakeup call.
“The long days and nights of hard work payed off when selected as the Champion Market Steer.” Abby said. “It was a feeling I will not forget.”
Abby’s involvement in the Agriculture Youth Council with Oklahoma Secretary Arthur and the American Farmers and Ranchers Youth Council has shaped her into an advocate for the agriculture industry. She plans to major in Agriculture Communications and pursue a career that goes hand and hand with educating the public about the agriculture industry.
“I believe one word that represents a farmer and rancher is perseverance,” Abby said. “Agriculture does not stop and neither do we.”
Abby wanted to send a special thanks to everyone who played a role in her big win: her incredible family, Tony and Brandy Jeffs, Jesse and Jennifer Hoobler, Charley and Devan Wilson, Annie Rathbun, Wyatt Malone, Khyleigh North and Devan Cox.