Taking the top spot: Taylor wins WSF market steer show

Douglas – After a 20-minute champion drive, Allie Taylor of Riverton was selected as the 2017 Champion Market Beef at the Wyoming State Fair, with her steer Texas Chrome. The 13-year-old called the win a life-changing moment that helped her realize how hard work really does pay off.

“I’ve been showing steers for five years,” Taylor, the daughter of Dustin Taylor and Cherrie Wychgram, says. “We went to the Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE), and I watched the beef show. That was when I got hooked. I have shown cattle ever since.”

This year, Taylor started in October with her steer, starting with halter-breaking and then beginning to wash, dry, clip and work the steer. She also regularly utilizes a cold barn to help the steer grow hair, all of which took time and effort.

“It wasn’t easy to always get up at 5:30 or six in the morning every day to take care of him,” Taylor says. “I feel like, after winning at Wyoming State Fair, that my hard work has finally paid off.”

In the long-term, Taylor hopes to raise her own show cattle.

“Starting this year, I’ll be going to more national shows, like stock shows in Phoenix, Ariz. and Denver, Colo.,” she adds.

Taylor also started eighth grade at Riverton Middle School.

“My sister Chase helped me a lot with my project this year,” Taylor comments. “I’m also thankful to LeClair Cattle Company and the Wurdeman family for helping me get my steer ready to show. They helped me every step of the way – from making decisions on what I should feed to the best plans to take care of him. They all helped me get to where I am today.”

Turn to pages 8-9 for more results from the Wyoming State Fair.