Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: Steer Vanilla Ice sells for $1m record
A 90-year-old farmer has paid $1m for a steer named Vanilla Ice at the Houston Rodeo – a new world record price.
A steer was purchased for a historic US$1 million at the weekend at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in the US.
The dappled white crossbred steer, named Vanilla Ice, beat out 33 other steers in the junior market steer category to claim the grand champion spot, before selling for a whopping US$1 million — surpassing the previous record of US$625,000 set in 2019.
The steer was bought by Houston rodeo veteran Don D. Jordan and his family in the year of the rodeo’s 90th anniversary and Don’s 90th birthday.
“The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and I were born in the same year, so we’ve spent a lot of birthdays together,” Mr Jordan said.
“Its 90-years-old and I’m 90-years-old. So, it was a good time for us to do this,” Mr Jordan said.
Mr Jordan, who has a long history with the rodeo as a past president, board chairman and current executive committee member of the Houston show, said he took pride in giving the money to the rodeo, which has funded more than $550 million to Texas youth and education since it began in 1932.
By bidding US$1 million, he said he hopes to encourage young buyers to beat the record again by the time the rodeo turns 100.
“I guarantee you that someone will beat it,” he said.
The steer was presented by 16-year-old handler Aven Horn from Anson, Texas.
The reserve champion junior market steer also surpassed the previous top-price steer record, achieving US$675,000 and almost doubling the reserve steer record of US$367,000, also set in 2019.
The steer was exhibited by Tristan Himes of Sterling City, Texas, and purchased by a syndicate of buyers.
With today’s record-breaking steer purchases, Aven will receive US$85,000 and Tristan will receive US$45,000.
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