The Iowa State Fair on Saturday will host the 37th annual Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show, an event benefiting the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa. Since 1983 the efforts have raised more than $3.5 million for the Des Moines, Iowa City and Sioux City Ronald McDonald House Charities. The houses provide a “home away from home” for families of seriously ill children being treated in area hospitals and have served nearly 47,000 families.
Last year the champion steer sold for $66,504 at auction after the show.
Among this year’s entrants is Brynn Nickle, 16, who was a newborn with pneumonia hospitalized in Blank Children’s Hospital when her parents were able to utilize the Ronald McDonald House in Des Moines. Brynn spent a week in the hospital, and her parents, Nathan and Stasia, said of the Ronald McDonald House, “It was a very comforting place to be during a scary time.”
Today, Brynn is a high school student from Clearfield, IA, who has been showing cattle for 7 years, and she is one of 25 young Iowans who will show a steer in the competition that begins at 4 p.m. in the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion. Celebrities will accompany the young steer owners, leading cattle around the ring while vying for the championship designation, showmanship honors and the People’s Choice award.
Immediately following the competition, the steers will be sold at auction with proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa. Both the show ring event and the auction are open to the general public.
Donations to the Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show can be made online at: www.iowagovernorscharitysteershow.com
Participants:
Participants in this 37th anniversary event include Governor Kim Reynolds, who will host the show. Bryan Thill, Pleasantville, will serve as the official steer show judge for this year’s event and Bubba Chapman of Tipton has been selected to serve as the event’s Showmanship Judge.
Emcees for the event include Bob Quinn and Andy Peterson of WHO/WMT Radio and Michelle Rook of WNAX Radio. The auctioneers are Phil Schooley of Bloomfield, Will Epperly of Dunlap, Russele Sleep of Bedford, and Jared Miller of Leon. Catching bids in the ring are Tom Rooney of The Midwest Marketer; Mike Sorensen and Austin Brandt of Livestock Plus; and Jason Lekin from Tama Livestock Auction.
Steer # 1
Sponsor: Iowa Beef Industry Council & Iowa Cattlemen’s Association
Celebrity & Title: Governor Kim Reynolds. Steer Name: Wilson
Steer Owner: Katie Van Den Top, Hull
Steer # 2
Sponsor: Crawford County Cattlemen & Nor-AM Cold Storage
Celebrity & Title: Lt. Governor Adam Gregg. Steer Name: Richard
Steer Owner: Makia Smith, Charter Oak
Steer # 3
Sponsor: Davis County Beef Promoters
Celebrity & Title: Rachelle Heller, Wife of University of Iowa Head Baseball Coach, Rick Heller. Steer Name: Roto
Steer Owner: Tayden Bish, Bloomfield
Steer # 4
Sponsor: Southern Iowa Merchants Association
Celebrity & Title: Matt Gunn, Owner of Wood Iron Grille, 2019 Best Burger Winner. Steer Name: Buck
Steer Owner: Kinley Lobberecht, Oskaloosa
Steer # 5
Sponsor: Central Iowa County Farm Bureaus
Celebrity & Title: Craig Hill, Iowa Farm Bureau President. Steer Name: Real Deal
Steer Owner: Paisley Lautner, Jefferson
Steer # 6
Sponsor: Des Moines Area Community College
Celebrity & Title: Rob Denson, President, DMACC. Steer Name: DMACC Delivers
Steer Owner: Bronson Forsyth, Charles City
Steer # 7
Sponsor: Dee Zee, Inc. (The Quality Truck Accessory People)
Celebrity & Title: Dan Robison, Iowa State University Dean of Ag and Life Sciences. Steer Name: Trump
Steer Owner: Quin McCollum, Colo
Steer # 8
Sponsor: Iowa Bankers Association
Celebrity & Title: Mike Pearson, Co-host of Ag News Daily Podcast and VP of Zaner Group. Steer Name: Richard
Steer Owner: Kerrigan Mobley, Diagonal
Steer # 9
Sponsor: Volunteer Boards of Iowa Ronald McDonald House Charities
Celebrity & Title: Marcia Morales, RMH Volunteer. Steer Name: Thanks-A-Million
Steer Owner: Eric Plagman, Cumberland
Steer # 10
Sponsor: McDonald’s Restaurants of Iowa
Celebrity & Title: Hunter Lantz, patient and Erin McMahon, Caregiver. Steer Name: Hot Off The Grill
Steer Owner: Tate Boysen, Columbus Junction
Steer # 11
Sponsor: McDonald’s Restaurants of Iowa
Celebrity & Title: Steer Name: Grand McExtreme
Steer Owner: Jake Balvanz, Alden
Steer # 12
Sponsor: McDonald’s Restaurants of Northwest Iowa
Celebrity & Title: Rachael Ostrem, Miss Rodeo Iowa. Steer Name: Mc’D
Steer Owner: Samantha Noteboom, Sheldon
Steer # 13
Sponsor: Friends of Floyd County
Celebrity & Title: Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. Steer Name: Rocky
Steer Owner: Dillan Dight, Rockford
Steer # 14
Sponsor: Monroe County Cattlemen & Supporters
Celebrity & Title: Justine Stevenson, Seeds of Hope Foundation. Steer Name: Seeds of Hope
Steer Owner: Brianna Wolfer, Albia
Steer # 15
Sponsor: Iowa County Beef Supporters
Celebrity & Title: John Putney, Former Executive Director of the Blue Ribbon Foundation Steer Name: Hoppy
Steer Owner: George Sinclair, Williamsburg
Steer # 16
Sponsor: Foster and Evelyn Barkema Charitable Trust & Friends of the Franklin County Cattlemen
Celebrity & Title: Alan Brown, Iowa State Fair Board. Steer Name: Cy
Steer Owner: Kaylie Lundt, Rockwell
Steer # 17
Sponsor: Iowa Hereford Breeders Association
Celebrity & Title: Ray Sorensen, Freedom Rock Artist & Dist. 20 State Representative. Steer Name: Ace of Hearts
Steer Owner: Sidney Schafer, Wellsburg
Steer # 18
Sponsor: Benton County Cattlemen and Local Supporters
Celebrity & Title: Randy Edeker, President and CEO, Hy-Vee Inc. Steer Name: Walter
Steer Owner: MaKenna Burmeister, Rowley
Steer # 19
Sponsor: Iowa Corn Promotion Board
Celebrity & Title: Curt Mether, President of Iowa Corn Growers Assoc. Steer Name: T-Bone
Steer Owner: Brynn Nickle, Clearfield
Steer # 20
Sponsor: Johnson Co Cattlemen
Celebrity & Title: Mary Ferentz, Wife of University of Iowa Head Football Coach, Kirk Ferentz. Steer Name: Cisco
Steer Owner: Delaney Bulecek, Oxford
Steer # 21
Sponsor: Jackson Co Cattlemen & Friends of Jackson County Cattlemen
Celebrity & Title: Brian Moore, Former District 58 State Representative. Steer Name: Straight Profit
Steer Owner: Riley Miller, Teeds Grove
Steer # 22
Sponsor: Iowa Veterinary Medical Association & ISU College of Veterinary Medicine
Celebrity & Title: Dr. Dan Grooms, Dean of Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine. Steer Name: Ernie
Steer Owner: Quinton Grove, Ellsworth
Steer # 23
Sponsor: Beck’s Hybrids
Celebrity & Title: Megan Salois, WHO Channel 13 Meteorologist. Steer Name: Radar
Steer Owner: Tanner Henningsen, Ames
Steer # 24
Sponsor: District 20 Cattlemen’s Associations
Celebrity & Title: Jeff Shipley, District 82 Representative. Steer Name: Osbourne
Steer Owner: Hannah Peck, Birmingham
Steer # 25
Sponsor: Channel Seeds
Celebrity & Title: Kayla Lyon, Director of Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Steer Name: Roy
Steer Owner: Connor Briggs, Chariton
