Fifth Annual Gelbvieh Foundation Carcass Contest Results Released

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Results of the fifth annual American Gelbvieh Foundation (AGF) Steer Challenge and Scale and Rail Sire-Identified Carcass Contest have been finalized. Producers from Iowa and Nebraska took home top honors with prize payouts totaling $4,000.

The AGF continues to help advance the Gelbvieh and Balancer® breesd through its support of research and development. For this reason, the AGF launched the Steer Challenge and Scale and Rail Sire-Identified Carcass Contest in 2016. These two projects, together, provide the information and funds necessary to generate datasets to advance Gelbvieh and Balancer carcass merit.

The AGF Steer Challenge is a competition amongst individual Gelbvieh and Balancer-influenced steers in which the judging criteria focuses on carcass value and average daily gain in the feedyard. The Steer Challenge gives an opportunity for participants to donate a steer to the AGF. All proceeds from the donation go toward research and development within the breed. Green Hills Gelbvieh, Mount Ulla, North Carolina, and Flying H Genetics, Arapahoe, Nebraska, each donated a steer to the AGF this year. Thank you for your generosity. The champion steer for carcass value in the steer challenge contest was owned by Flying H Genetics. This steer had a total carcass value of $1,582.92 and graded USDA Choice. Flying H also took home champion steer for average daily gain in the steer challenge contest. This animal gained 3.93 pounds per day; the calves were on feed for 205 days.

In its fifth year, seven ranches participated in the contests at Darr Feedlot in Cozad, Nebraska. All steers were harvested in July 2020 with a total of 133 individual carcass data records. CKS Gelbvieh of Collins, Iowa, won big at this event, taking home three of the five prizes in the Gelbvieh division of the Scale and Rail Sire-Identified Carcass Contest. CKS Gelbvieh had the champion Gelbvieh steer in the carcass value category with an animal that valued at $1,593.70. This steer also posted $436.50 for an increase in value. They also had the champion Gelbvieh steer in the average daily gain category with an animal that gained 4.40 pounds per day.

CKS Gelbvieh also owned the champion pen of Gelbvieh steers in the Scale and Rail Contest with a total carcass value of $4,323.56. AMGV1395460 (CKS LEGACY E64), owned by CKS Gelbvieh, Collins, Iowa, sired the pen of three steers. This group of steers averaged a marbling score of USDA Choice, Yield Grade 3, with a 15.98 square inch ribeye and 944-pound average hot carcass weight. In total, CKS Gelbvieh took home $1,500 in prize money.

In the Balancer division, Eagle Pass Ranch of Highmore, South Dakota, won champion steer in the carcass value category. This steer valued at $1,637.29. This steer also posted $522.85 for an increase in value and graded USDA Choice. Rick and Kim Taylor of Wauneta, Nebraska, won the champion steer in the average daily gain category with a steer that gained 4.46 pounds per day.

Hamilton Farms of Hitchcock, South Dakota, won the champion pen of Balancer steers. The steers had a total carcass value of $4,649.61. AMGV1331092 (EGL CODE RED C081 ET) owned by Robert Farlee and Eagle Pass Ranch sired the pen of three steers. This group of steers averaged a marbling score of USDA Choice, Yield Grade 1, with a 15.27 square inch ribeye and 1,017 pound average hot carcass weight. In total, Hamilton Farms took home $500 in prize money.

To view full results, including all closeout data, please visit the Projects page under the Foundation tab on Gelbvieh.org.