enews Taste Excellence AWA NEWSLETTER

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1 enews Official Publication NEW MEMBERS LONE MOUNTAIN SALE RESULTS STEAKS ARE HIGH SALE RESULTS ANNUAL MEETING POLLED WAGYU BEEF U AMERICAN ROYAL CATTLEFAX Taste Excellence AWA

2 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS The Last Resort Pepper D Ranch Christopher Schneider Walker Cattle Company Rydaco LLC Hacienda Santa Maria de Bolanos Hanappe Ranch, LLC Perkins Ranch RDB H&H Cattle Company Mountain Primal Meat Co Flying G Ranch Fehnhof Ammerland GBR Baker s Acres J & G Farms, LLC Blandland Wagyu Parker Wagyu Silver Timber Ranch Ridzon Cattle Farm Milk & Honey Vowers Bar Milliron Ranch Lockhart Farms Nicol Cattle Company Morace Cattle Co ZR1 Ranch Stevens Farm Rising H, Inc Miss Ruby s Place Fort Deposit Outfitters Willow Creek Wagyu M Wagyu Wagyu Florida Inc Lock Livestock Bos Sancti Cattle McHenry Cattle Company Lazy MT Bar M&M Ranch Central Oregon Wagyu Ranch Gradeless Farms Franks 3 Farm LLC Neuner Farms Counsil Crosswinds Ranches Shockey Farm & Cattle Co Tecumseh Kobi Beef CM Wagyu Cotton R. Booker Norma Jean Payne & Nicole E. Wilson Millstone Farm Wagyu Liberty s Ledge Farm Triple S Farms Mason Hill Cattle Co J Brand Wagyu, LLC Triple P Farms Meadow Lakes Farm Goodsell Land and Cattle, LLC Akane Wagyu Ranch Parnell Ranch Black Jak High Desert Dairy Lab Inc Little Powder Wagyu Spring Creek Ranch Grace Hill Farm, LLC Doerge Farms Grayson Cattle Ranch Midwest Wagyu Chris Hill J3C Cattle Co Hayfield Farm, LLC Rise Costa Rica EDITOR Paul Redner pcredner@hotmail.com phone (719) PUBLISHER American Wagyu Association office@wagyu.org phone (208) website CONTRIBUTORS Paul Redner, George Owen, B.C. Allison, James Nason, Lynn Gordon, Beef Central, Jon Condon, Geoff Phillips, Asahi Shimbun, Cattlefax GRAPHIC DESIGN / ADVERTISING Jon Hayenga - Graphic Designer graphics@wagyu.org COVER PHOTO courtney kuns - prime valley farms DISCLAIMER American Wagyu Association, Inc (AWA) makes no statements, representations or warranties about the accuracy or completeness of, any information relating to third party advertising and/or, inquiries made through this medium; and, disclaims all responsibility for information and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages, and costs you may incur as a result of information being inaccurate or incomplete in any way for any reason. Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden without prior written permission to the AWA. 2

3 LONE MOUNTAIN HITS ANOTHER HOME RUN The Lone Mountain production sale held in Albuquerque on May 20th was in a word Great. It was an all around beautiful day with temperatures in the low 70 s, not a cloud in the sky, no wind, and a most excellent presentation. Bob Estrin put together a solid group of females, with a few bulls mixed in and with the help of Mercedes and the JDA Sales team, produced a totally spectacular sale. New Mexico to Texas, Missouri and Ohio and on to Australia buyers effectively used the internet to keep the sale moving with good interest in every lot. The breed is strong and getting stronger. Photos by Jim Long The specific results are listed below, but the totals speak for themselves. Ninety nine lots averaged $8,500 for a total of $841,500. Many of the buyers were new to the Wagyu breed, and they literally covered the world. From 3

4 Lone Mountain Fullblood Wagyu Sale May 20 th, Albuquerque, New Mexico Auctioneer: C.D. Butch Booker Sale Manager: James Danekas & Associates Inc. Internet Venue: LiveAuctions.tv Total Gross: $783,350 Total lots sold: 89 Avg: $8802 Averages: 4 Bulls Avg: $11, Cows Avg: $ Heifers Avg: $ Cow/Calf Pairs Avg: $11,200 Tops: FEMALES Lot 10: LMR MS ICHIBAN 4248B, sired by LMR Ichiban 810T with a heifer calf; $25,000 to Brooke Pidgeon, Homeworth, OH. Lot 19: LMR MS ICHIBAN ½ 1292Y, sired by TF Itomichi 1/2; $20,000 to M6 Ranch, Alvarado, TX. Lot 49: LMR MS HIRO 3442A, sired by LMR Hiro 0195X with heifer calf; $16,500 to M6 Ranch, Alvarado, TX. 4

5 Lot 29: LMR MS ITOSHIGENAMI 3519A, sired by Itoshigenami TF148 with heifer calf; $14,500 to Jay Redlin, Estancia, NM. Lot 1: LMR MS ITOMORITAKA 2391Z, sired by Itomoritaka J2703; $13,500 to Brooke Pidgeon, Homeworth, OH. Lot 5: LMR MS MICHIFUKU 5503C, sired by World K s Michifuku; $13,500 to Bar V, Abilene, KS. Lot 20: LMR MS KITATERUYASUDOI 4217B, sired by Kitateruyasudoi J2810; $12,500 to M6 Ranch, Alvarado, TX. Lot 36: LMR MS SANJIROU 4P 2406Z, sired by Bar R Sanjirou 4P; $12,500 to Bar V, Abilene, KS. Lot 70: LMR MS Hirashigetayasu 4232B, sired by Hirashigetayasu J2351; $12,500 to M6 Ranch, Alvarado, TX. Lot 48: LMR MS HARUKI 1296Y, sired by World K s Harukii II with heifer calf; $12,000 to Jay Redlin, Estancia, NM. BULLS Lot 15: LMR YOJIMBO 5335C, sired by LMY Yojimbo; $19,500 to Cross Creek Ranch, Hesperus, CO. Lot 3: LMR HAYAO 5549C, sired by LMY Kenichi 807T; $10,000 to Brooke Pidgeon, Homeworth, OH. Lot 8: LMR MASAHIKO 5534C, sired by LMY Masahiko 1250Y; $10,000 to Michael Cutler, Lee s Summit, MO. The Lone Mountain Fullblood Wagyu Sale was once again a very exciting event. The event drew in folks from all over the country; both long time Wagyu breeders and new Wagyu breeders filled the bleachers. The perfect weather complimented the day, as with an exceptional Wagyu lunch highlighting the Lone Mountain Wagyu Beef Company. The auction was exciting all of the way through and cattle were sold to 10 different states and Australia. We had many visitors and bidders join us online via LiveAuctions.tv A big round of applause to everyone involved for once again making the Lone Mountain Fullblood Wagyu Sale a huge success. 5

6 STEAKS ARE HIGH And yes they were!! That is the steaks were high at the 8th annual Steaks are High Sale held on April 22 in Salado Texas. The Steaks are High Sale is the annual sale of the Texas Wagyu Association and frankly it s one of the best sales in the country. It s certainly the longest running sale having just wrapped up eight very successful years. This year with receipts over $800,000 the sale firmly established itself as the country s biggest open Wagyu sale. Credit for this success has to go to the TWA and the tremendous degree of support they get from their membership. The whole affair is well managed and of course attendees feasted on some good Wagyu brisket, which has become a sale tradition. A special note of appreciation has to go to Bubba (and Donna) Kay who is retiring, after functioning as the sale manager since its inception, A lot of the success of this sale has to be attributed to Bubba s hard work and sense of organization. We all look forward to the ninth annual Steaks are High Sale in Salado Texas, in April WAGYU CATTLE BUYER$ A to Z Feeders contact Jim Skartvedt Agri Beef contact Office Imperial Wagyu Beef contact Office Jackman Florida Wagyu Beef contact Mark Hoegh Mishima Reserve Wagyu Beef contact Shane Lindsay Morris Stock Farm contact Joe Morris * If anyone else is in the market for stocker calves, feeder calves or fats just send an to office@wagyu.org with your contact information and we ll post you to our buyers list. * 6

7 Auctioneers: Rob Schacher and Bill Hall Sale Manager: Schacher Auction Services Sale Chairs: Bubba Kay and Josh Eilers Sale and Event Host: Texas Wagyu Association TEXAS WAGYU ASSOCIATION THE STEAKS ARE HIGH SPRING SALE 4/22/, Salado, TX 7 Cow/Calf pairs gross $61,500 avg. $8, ½ Bred Heifers gross $82,750 avg. $7,195 1 Open Donor gross $10,500 avg. $10,500 8 Bred Cows gross $44,150 avg. $5,519 9 ET Heifer Calves gross $45,750 avg. $5, ET Bull Calves gross $34,700 avg. $3, Open Heifers gross $178,650 avg. $4, Bulls gross $107,200 avg. $4,468 6 Right to Flush lots gross $25,300 avg. $ Pregnancies gross $18,800 avg. $3, Frozen Embryos gross $101,115 avg. $ Straws of Semen gross $92,100 avg. $258 The Texas Wagyu Association hosted their eighth annual Sale and Event on 4/21-22/ at the beautiful Tenroc Ranch in Salado, TX. The unusually cool weather for that time of year made it very comfortable for the over 300 people in attendance. The top selling lot in this year s sale was L7 MS SYB 004C, a Fullblood Red daughter of VBV ROA Red Galaxy. This female was calved on 2/14/2015 and consigned by Lucky 7 ranch of Hamilton, TX. She was 6 months safe in calf to 711 Hikarimaru John Williamson of Round Rock, TX made the buy at $15,000 for one-half interest. The next high selling female was LA Ms Takashigo, a 2/15/2008 Fullblood Black daughter of Bar R 12P that was six and one-half months safe in calf to SR Hirashige 101. She was consigned by FAC Farms of Lafayette, LA and was purchased by M6 Ranch, Alverado, TX for $11,750. M6 Ranch also purchased two Fullblood Black daughters of KR Frontline 115 consigned by Kay Ranch, Manor, TX, KR Ms Hirashige 205 was calved 10/18/15 and safe in calf to Sanjirou. She commanded $11,000. KR Ms Hira-Kikuhana 199 was calved 11/21/15 and was also safe in calf to Sanjirou and sold for $10,500. Audrey Boyce, The Rock, GA gave $11,000 for SOR Judo Destiny, an 11/4/2011 Fullblood Red daughter of Judo that sold with a calf at side by SOR 1007 and she was consigned by Legendary Akaushi Genetics, Flatonia, TX. IWG Ms Rueshaw 75Z, a 6/2/2012 Fullblood Red daughter of Rueshaw that was consigned by Kay Ranch, Manor, TX sold for $10,500 to Ryan Bagley/Rydaco, Center TX. Grant Whitmer, WagyuRanch.com consigned a Fullblood Black ET Heifer Calf born 11/10/16, sired by Shigefuku J1822 and out of a Takazakura daughter that sold for $10,000 to Hubertus Diers, Altenberge, Germany. The top selling bull was SOR Big Al, a 2/14/13 Fullblood Red son of HB Big Al 502 that was consigned by Tebben Ranch, Floresville, TX and sold to Crescent Harbor Ranch, Bozeman, MT. M6 Shigeshigetani 522, a 3/8/15 Fullblood Black son of Bar R Shigeshigetani 30T that was consigned by M6 Ranch, Alvarado, TX sold to Benny Fajkus, Belton, TX for $7,500 7

8 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING SHAPING UP By The Editor Make sure you clear your calendar for our Annual General Meeting planned for Sept. 26th through the 29th in Kansas City MO. We re staying at the Westin Hotel right in the heart of downtown and right next to Union Station. We ve heard that some of our members are planning a special experience this year and are arriving by train. Whatever your mode of transportation Kansas City is a relatively easy destination. Centrally located K.C. provides easy access by Interstate, and the K.C. airport is really a great. Pre-TSA it was laid out with almost immediate access from your plane to your luggage and car. Of course post 9-11 you ll have to use your imagination a bit. On the docket this year we plan on taking a break from our study sessions. We have an afternoon for extra curricular subjects. One of the venues is Top Golf. This is a golf driving range alike no other. It s multi tiered, with spaced game areas. These areas more like a lounge that a golf practice area. Complete bar and restaurant service is available. Snacks are varied and of quality. Sounds like a great party spot but there s more. The golf balls have a chip in them. There s no guessing about whose ball went where. It s all mapped out for you. Talk about GPS to the next level. Even if you don t golf, just sit down, have a drink and watch you friends perform. We ve got a nearby Casino and a great shopping mall as well and we ll be arranging transportation to each. The educational program is getting a lot of input. We have some things locked down but the committee really wants to take it up a notch. We ll keep you posted. Plan on K.C. in September. 8

9 POLLED WAGYU By The Editor If you ve been paying attention to talk and actions around the World of Wagyu You ve seen a lot of dialogue in the past year about polled Wagyu. Now for those of you not completely familiar with cow terminology, polled simply means without horns. That is as in none. Now if a calf has some little bumps that never mature and move around a bit, they re called scurs. A polled animal has neither scurs nor horns, and they come by it naturally. You can t make a polled animal by cutting off it s horns although I m sure some have tried. Now we know Wagyu whether red or black is a horned breed, so how can we end up with a polled Wagyu? Theoretically we could have a genetic anomaly that produced a polled animal. Let s not plan on that happening for all practical purposes. So how do we get to polled Wagyu? As other breeds have done (Simmental, Gelbveih, Salers etc), breeding up through polled animals of other breeds such as Angus, who are homozygous polled, you are able to obtain polled Purebred animals through a few generations. Genetic editing, once approved by the FDA, will be an option in the future. Now why do we really need polled animals? A pretty good questions but one that is easily answered if you think about it. We in the Wagyu business are on the verge of the next step forward and that s admittance to the world of commercial cattle in the United States. This industry from producer through feeding has long rejected horned cattle for a variety of reasons from space at the feed bunk to injury, and related aggressive behavior. Anyway the net is it is common practice to dock cattle with horns in the feedyard and when you think about it the process of dehorning is not only a pain in the processing process, but the claves don t really seem to enjoy it. One of these days we ll see a de-horning on U-tube and at that time you ll be pretty happy to say you only have polled animals. It is the wave of the future, but it will be the standard in the future. On the next page is piece of an article by B. C. Allison of North Carolina State that explains the homozygous/ heterozygous relationship. Copy or click on link to see the full article. 9

10 INHERITANCE OF POLLEDNESS,HORNS AND SCURS By B. C. Allison For full article visit: In beef cattle of European ancestry the trait of being polled or having horns is determined by one pair of genes. One gene in the pair is inherited from the dam and the other from the sire. The polled gene (P) is dominant to the horned gene (p). If an animal has two polled genes(pp), homozygous, or one polled and one horned gene (Pp), heterozygous, it will be polled. However, if it is heterozygous polled (Pp) it may pass either the polled or horned gene on to its offspring. The only situation when an animal will be horned is when it possesses two recessive horned genes (pp), homozygous horned. Table 1 illustrates the expression of polledness or horns and what genes and traits can be expected to be passed to the offspring from the various matings. Table 1. Genetic Expression of Polledness or Horns and Expected Inheritance by Offspring Sire Homozygous polled (PP) Homozygous polled (PP) Homozygous polled (PP) Heterozygous polled (Pp) Heterozygous polled (Pp) Dam Homozygous polled (PP) Heterozygous polled (Pp) Homozygous horned (pp) Homozygous horned (pp) Heterozygous polled (Pp) Calves 100% Homozygous polled (PP) 50% Homozygous polled (PP) 50% Heterozygous polled (Pp) 100% Heterozygous polled (Pp) 50% Heterozygous polled (Pp) 50% Homozygous horned (pp) 25% Homozygous polled (PP) 50% Heterozygous polled (Pp) 25% Homozygous horned (pp) POLL WAGYU STUD By James Nason, 15 May Three commercial breeders pool genetics to create Poll Wagyu stud Wagyu cattle are traditionally horned but a unique breeding partnership between three prominent commercial Wagyu breeders is set to give producers greater access to Polled Wagyu bulls later this year. 10

11 ONLINE BEEF UNIVERSITY: BEEF UP ON BEEF By Lynn Gordon - Leaders are learners, always striving to learn more and not settling for the status quo. An excellent learning opportunity is now available for beef producers to learn more about the product they produce, or brush up on some of the production facts, beef labeling issues, beef inspection and grading along with the latest knowledge available to the beef industry. As a result you not only become more knowledgeable about the latest data and industry insights of beef production, but learning more about your product will enhance your ability to be a wellspoken beef industry advocate with the ability to inform consumers on their critical current questions and issues. Beef U: Free online training program The national beef checkoff has announced the launch of a re-vamped Beef University or Beef U a free, online training program about one of America s favorite proteins, including insights and research on marketing and selling beef. Each section of the training will take about minutes to complete with a brief quiz at the end of each module. Additional resources are also available to producers at the completion of each module. With consumers interested in the way agricultural products are grown, such as beef, this online training program with equip you as a producer or someone associated with the beef industry, agri-business or agriculture the opportunity to review the latest industry information. You can become a leader within your industry to promote and educate others about beef. As a beef industry leader this program is also helpful to grocery retailers and foodservice operators and you can be the link to make your customers aware of this educational opportunity. Topics Covered Topics include: Raising Beef; Nutrition and Health; Beef Basics and Cuts and the Modern Consumer. For example the section on raising beef addresses producer s commitment to animal welfare and equips you with strategies to help answer customer/consumer questions about beef production. In the Modern Consumer module, the latest research is presented on how today s consumers make the decision to purchase beef and their approaches to shopping, information which can be helpful to know as a beef producers trying to meet the consumer s needs. More Information The Beef U online training is offered free. However, users will be prompted to register before they can view the content and join the Beef U online community. This training program is funded by the beef checkoff program. For more information about your beef checkoff investment, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com. 11

12 WAGYU BRANDED BEEF COMPETITION By Beef Central, 03 May From the editor: Take a look at the following article reporting the Australian Meat Contest. This reveals something that could prove significant to our Wagyu business. JBS is the largest meat processor in the world and in the United States. They got into the Wagyu business in Australian when they purchased the Andrews Meat Company which was heavily involved in the business of Wagyu. JBS recognized a good thing when they saw it and as you can see have followed and in fact have grown their Wagyu footprint. Now if we could find a way to get JBS/USA interested in Wagyu in this country. WoW! The Article: Wagyu Branded Beef competition showcases best of the best 21 premium Wagyu entries in four classes were assessed by a panel of 16 judges in mid-march, with the winners announced at a gala dinner during the Australian Wagyu Association s annual conference in Albury on Tuesday night. JAPAN TOUR OFFERS INSIGHT By Jon Condon, 31 May Japan study tour offers unforgettable insight into Wagyu industry A two-week trade mission and study tour to Japan leaving at the end of August will provide a unique insight into the country s Wagyu beef industry, and the rich culture and traditions that have produced it. ELITE WAGYU AUCTION By Geoff Phillips, 04 May Semen sold for $28,000 a straw, bulls to $105,000 and a heifer in utero made $95,000 at the Elite Wagyu sale at the Wagyu Expansion Conference in Albury MSW on Wednesday. All three are Australian record prices for the breed and stunned the 400 delegates in attendance

13 DAIRY COWS SERVE AS SURROGATE MOMS FOR WAGYU CATTLE By The Asahi Shimbun, May 24, From the editor: We know that the Wagyu breed is moving forward. The demand for Wagyu beef is definitely there and it s growing. We do have an infrastructure problem as far as our potential for quick growth, but the Japanese apparently recognize an opportunity when they see one. With more Wagyu becoming available, and more customers being exposed to Wagyu, the expansion of the U.S. Wagyu processing market is bound to follow. More processors equals more buyers. Today s Wagyu breeders are definitely in the right spot for future expansion. The Article: Dairy cows serve as surrogate moms for Wagyu beef cattle If calves are efficiently bred, the project could help stabilize the prices of wagyu beef, which have soared to their highest levels ever. Mie Prefecture is the production area for Matsusaka beef cattle, one of the best-known brands of Japanese beef cattle collectively known as wagyu. Under the project, wagyu beef cattle with genes for high meat quality will supply the egg cells and sperm. Each month, about 10,000 fertilized eggs will be created and sold to farmers in Hokkaido who are keeping Holstein surrogate mothers for the calves to be bred. The calves will be raised, among other wagyu brands, into Matsusaka beef cattle and Iga beef cattle, both being specialty brands of Mie Prefecture. AG Trading, a stockbreeding venture operated by a veterinarian in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, has set up a group company, AG Embryo Support, specifically for this project. NAGOYA--A start-up in Mie Prefecture is attempting to beef up the breeding of famed wagyu cattle through surrogate birthing by Holstein dairy cows in Hokkaido. The plan will allow us to create a new production platform for Matsusaka beef cattle, said Junichi Nagamune, 33, president of AG Embryo Support, which is based in Obihiro, Hokkaido. Wagyu beef cattle can be marketed under the brand of the area in which they were grown for a certain period 13

14 DAIRY COWS SERVE AS SURROGATE MOMS (cont.) of time, regardless of where they were born. Matsusaka beef cattle refer to female calves of the Japanese Black breed that were bought from calf-breeding farmers across Japan and were raised by farmers in and around the city of Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture. Calves of the Japanese Black, however, have decreased in number, partly because aging farmers have withdrawn from breeding. According to figures of the Agriculture and Livestock Industries Corp., only 310,000 such calves were traded at markets in 2016, down 20 percent from Trading prices of a calf soared more than twofold to between 800,000 yen and 900,000 yen ($7,100 and $8,000) during the same period. ALIC figures show that the retail price of wagyu beef shoulder stood at 789 yen per 100 grams on national average as of March, up 20 percent from three years earlier. In late April, a fund set up by Hyakugo Bank, Mizuho Bank and other parties invested 50 million yen in AG Embryo Support s project. We hope the plan will help increase the number of Matsusaka and Iga beef cattle, said Yukimasa Kimura, head of the Regional Revitalization Division with Hyakugo Bank, a regional bank based in Mie Prefecture. (This article was written by Rui Hosomi, Fumiko Takaki and Tetsushi Yamamura.) HIGH-END JAPANESE WAGYU HITS RECORD PRICE This article from the Nikkei Asian Review shows us just how important wagyu is becoming in this country. Japan is a net importer of cattle and one of the biggest U.S. export markets, however they are short wagyu in their own country because of the tremendous rise in exports. It doesn t take much to guess where a lot of those exports are going. Sure China is increasing in importance, but the good old U.S.A. is getting their fair share. We are definitely getting the word out. 14

15 American Royal Steak Competition Welcome to the Sixth Annual American Royal Steak Competition. Beef producers from across the country are invited to submit 3 rib-eye steaks to compete in 2 categories, grass-finished and grain-finished, from which champions will be named. All steaks are submitted to K-State Olathe for judging. Steaks are judged by a panel of invited experts in the fields of production, journalism, and culinary arts in a blind judging. The purpose of the American Royal Steak Competition is to find the best tasting steaks in the country. Through this competition, cattle producers may be able to learn what breeds, feeding methods, and other factors consistently produce the best steak. Entry Rules a. Each entrant must submit THREE (3) ribeyes for the competition (unseasoned, not brined or blade tenderized). b. The bone must be out. c. The thickness is to be one and one-half inches. d. Steak will be placed in one of two categories: Grass-Finished or Grain-Finished. i. Grass Finished -- beef from cattle that are raised and finished on pasture. These cattle have never been fed any grain at any point from birth to slaughter. ii. Grain Finished -- beef from cattle that have been fed grain at any point in their life. All steaks being submitted for the competition must arrive at the K-State Olathe Campus between Monday, July 17 and Friday, July 21. Steaks arriving after noon on Friday, July 21 will not be included in the competition. Mailing address: Shipping Rules K-State Olathe Attention: Marianne Swaney-Stueve West Innovation Drive Olathe, KS Steaks must be LABELED with the CONFIRMATION NUMBER that was assigned after registration. Packaging must be labeled with the address that corresponds to the address listed on the application. Steaks must be shipped FROZEN using DRY ICE. Steaks can also be delivered in-person, but must arrive FROZEN. Steaks will be recorded upon delivery and then immediately transferred to a freezer where they will be stored until one day prior to the judging. Steaks arriving after noon on Friday, July 21 will not be included in the competition. Steak deliveries will be accepted between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm. For any questions or directions to the location, please contact: Tegan Jepsen at K-State Olathe, tmjepsen@ksu.edu (913)

16 Judging Guidelines All samples will be stored, prepared, and served using an assigned code number. The code number will be provided to the applicant upon completion of their application to the American Royal. All steaks must be sent to Kansas State University in Olathe with the assigned number on the package. All samples will be prepared using George Foreman grills. Judges will be served squares of meat from different locations on the steak. Judges will not evaluate the raw meat for appearance. Judges will refer to the Judging Terms & Definitions sheet and use the American Royal Steak Competition Ballot for evaluating each sample. To familiarize the judges with the ballot and scoring procedure, judges will evaluate a warm-up steak sample that is not part of the competition. Scores will be discussed among the judges to ensure consistency across the panel and overall understanding. Judges are not required to swallow the steak samples. All samples can be expectorated at the time that they would normally swallow the sample. Water and crackers will be used to cleanse judges palates between samples. Samples will be separated into grass finished and grain finished. Judges will evaluate these groups of feed type separately. Judges responses will be collected electronically. Overall scores will be tallied and computed as follows: 60% Flavor (Overall 30%, Sustained 15%, Finish 15%) Note: If no flavor finish is detected, sample will automatically receive a finish rating 4. 40% Texture (Juiciness 20% - 10% initial, 10% sustained, Tenderness 20%) Scores for each individual response along with calculated overall score will be posted online by assigned code number. Highest and lowest scores for each sample will be removed prior to calculating the overall scores. Grand Champion Award will be determined based on overall score. Separate Grand Champion Awards will be given for Grain Finished and Grass Finished. Grass-finished cattle have never been fed grain, including distiller s by-products. Grain-finished cattle are all other cattle not defined as grass-finished. For further questions over registration, please contact: Eric Pew, ericp@americanroyal.com (816) For further questions over shipping, please contact: Tegan Jepsen, tmjepsen@ksu.edu (913)

17 JUNE 30, Wts Util Cn/Cut Bulls West & Northwest Central Southeast WA/OR CO MT/WY CA NV/UT AZ/NM /ID TX KS/MO ND/SD NE OK IA AL AR FL GA LA/MS KY/TN STEER HEIFER COWS West Feeder cattle were steady to $6 higher this week. Calves were steady to $5 higher. Market cows were steady to $1 higher. Ethan Oberst Wts Util Cn/Cut Bulls STEER HEIFER COWS Central Feeder cattle traded mostly steady, with instances of $2 to $4 higher for the week. Calves were mixed from $2 higher and up to $10 lower on lightweights. Market cows were steady to $1 higher. Troy Applehans Wts Util Cn/Cut Bulls STEER HEIFER COWS Southeast Feeder cattle were steady to $3 higher for the week. Calves were steady to $2 higher. Market cows $1 to $4 higher. Troy Applehans DON T FORGET... DATES TO REMEMBER Passion for Prime June 10 Springfield, MO AWA Conference Sept. 26 Kanses City, MO NAILE Nov. 15 Louisville, KY COMEDY CORNER Question: What does a cow ride when his car is broken? Answer: A COW-asaki MOO-torcycle! 17