Wyoming Cattle Top Stock Shows

A series of articles in the Dec. 27, 1907 issue of “The Laramie Republican” touted cattle raised on the Laramie Plains, which went on to win at both the National Western Stock Show in Denver and the Chicago International.

A few of the articles follow.

Best feeder calves

The champion car of feeder calves of the 1907 Western Stock show at Denver was raised in Albany County, was purchased there by Mr. Batchelor of Illinois to be fattened and shown at the 1907 Chicago International, winning first prize as fat yearlings from their district, almost tripling their weight with  10-months’ feed.

The second prize fat yearlings from the north-central district this year were bred by Mr. Fred Remington of Douglas and were fed by Stiner Bros. of Illinois. These gentlemen have fed this brand of calves for several years and showed their appreciation of them by paying $29.50 per head for a car this year that won first prize in their class, as well as Mr. William Reynolds purchasing a car of second prize winners at $25 per head. These two cars of calves will be fitted for the 1908 international by their present owners, who are noted as being among the best feeders of Illinois of fancy show cattle.

Grand champion feeders

The grand champion feeder calves of all ages and breeds of the international this year were bred on the Wyoming and Nebraska line, in northeastern Wyoming, and were purchased at private sale by an Ohio gentleman at $30 per head to be fitted for the 1908 Chicago International. Besides winning several hundred dollars in prizes, the above mentioned feeder cattle sold for an average of $4.85 per hundred this year. Not withstanding that the average price of fat cattle was only $6.48 per hundred or $150 per hundred less than they brought in 1906, stock cattle were selling 15 cents per hundred higher than in 1906, thus substantiating the fact of the growing demand for the heavy, well-bred western feeders, even on a declining market and facing a financial stringency. Along with this fact and a margin of from five to 10 dollars per head in favor of the northern-raised animals over the southern and northwestern grown.

Fed on ground peas

The fact that the grand champion bull of the 1907 International was matured on ground peas and oats, never having eaten corn in his life, ought to arouse our cattlemen to the importance of breeding fewer and still better cattle, of the low down, thick flesh kinds, using few brands and flesh marks as possible and handled in a more domestic way, thus being able to grow a cleaner, gentler animal, better suited to the demands of the eastern feed lots.

This accomplished, it matters not whether the origin be Scotch or English, the color black, red, roan or white face, our eastern brother feeders are ready to take these kinds at the highest market price to be ripened by him into the choicest of good, pure, wholesome food, as perchance I may say, and I do not think the time far distant when we will mature our own cattle, in our own feedlots, on our home-grown peas, oats, barley and alfalfa and such native hay that we can raise and are growing to perfection throughout our state that can not be excelled in the world for its excellent quality as a pure, sweet, meat-producing factor.