AMES, Iowa — Sixteen years ago, Brynn Nickle was a newborn with pneumonia. Today, she is a high school student from Clearfield who has been showing cattle for 7 years.
Brynn was transferred from the Creston hospital, where she was born, directly to Blank Children’s Hospital. She spent a week in the NICU recovering, and during that time, her parents stayed at the Ronald McDonald House of Des Moines. “It was a very comforting place to be during a scary time,” for her parents, Nathan and Stasia Nickle.
Brynn is one of 25 young Iowans who will show a steer in the annual Governor’s Charity Steer Show at the Iowa State Fair. The 2019 event will mark the 37th consecutive year the beef industry has raised funds to help families who utilize the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa.
The show ring competition takes place Saturday, Aug. 10, at 4:00 p.m., in the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion at the Iowa State Fair. 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.
Since the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association began the Governor’s Charity Steer Show in 1983, the effort has 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.
Each of the 25 steers are owned by Iowa youth who have cared for the animals and participated in other shows with them. The youth prepare the animals for the show and assist a celebrity in the show ring. Sponsors reimburse the youth for the cost of the animal and choose the celebrity.
Youth participating in the 2019 Governor’s Charity Steer Show will also learn additional information about the beef industry on Thursday, and volunteer some time with the Ronald McDonald House Charities in Des Moines on Friday, Aug. 9.
Can’t make it to the show? Watch for coverage of the event from our media partners. WHO’s The Big Show will once again broadcast live before and after the competition. Ag News Daily and Iowa AgNet (Iowa Agribusiness Radio) will be covering the event as well, broadcasting live on the GCSS facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/iowagcss/
A new website has been created to raise the awareness and impact of the Governor’s Charity Steer Show. Iowans interested in helping with the cause can donate online at www.iowagovernorscharitysteershow.com and support the efforts of the beef industry.
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 Market Engagement, 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 University 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
— Iowa Cattlemen’s Association
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