Animals: Steer of the Year

While a monster bull from Assyria was exciting admiration on one side of Chicago last week (see p. 23) a chunky little steer from New York was being admired on another side of town, at the annual International Livestock Exposition in Union Stockyards. He was Briarcliff Thickset, a glossy Aberdeen Angus eleven months old, whose 1,140 lb. of bone, gristle and good red meat were formed so well and in such good condition that the judges named him world's grand champion, Steer of the Year. Being a steer, Briarcliff Thickset was good for nothing but the slaughter house. A Pennsylvania packing company bought him for $1.27 per lb. on the hoof, lowest price paid for Steer of the Year since 1923.* Nevertheless, in more ways than one Briarcliff Thickset made history. His breeder and owner was not a Midwestern cattleman but a retired New York financier, Oakleigh Thorne of Pine Plains, N. Y. And not in 31 years had an Eastern steer beaten all the animals of the West and Southwest. Runner-up was a shorthorn called Illini Major, raised on the College Farms of the University of Illinois.

Gentleman Farmer Thorne, whose ancestral acres stretch over the high-rolling hills of Dutchess County, was highly pleased. "It proves," he said, "what I have been trying to convince Eastern farmers all along. . . . They can compete with other regions in beef cattle as well as in dairy herds."

Elsewhere in the stockyards other animals were competing for titles. Adjudged healthiest of their kind were Gertrude Heikes, 16, of Dakota County, Neb., and William Saunders, 18, of Johnson County, Ind., winners of the health contest of the 4-H Clubs. Champion Heikes scored 99.9%, only her teeth counting against her. Pink-cheeked Miss Heikes eats three big meals a day, drinks water and milk, wears broad-toed, low-heeled shoes. Champion Saunders, who scored 99.1%, not only had imperfect teeth but a pimple. He shuns tobacco and stimulants, eats all he wants.