Oklahoma

It was a bittersweet moment for Tiffani Pruitt and her mother as they led OnStar, Tiffani's reserve champion steer, into the sale ring during the Sale of Champions at the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE). Pruitt, a native of Chickasha, Okla., parted ways with OnStar after he sold for a record setting $20,000, a $2,500 increase over the 2004 reserve champion selling price. OnStar was purchased by the Kentucky-Indiana Bank Group, Show Master Feeds of Oklahoma City, Okla., 21 C of Louisville, Ky., and the 2004 grand champion steer winner, Dylan Evans of Lebo, Kan.

Pruitt experienced both feelings of happiness and sadness as the honor of winning reserve champion steer ended her 10 years of showing cattle. In addition to showing cattle, she attends Oklahoma State University, where she is majoring in animal science. She is the 18-year-old daughter of Jill Pruitt of Chickasha, Okla., and Joe Bob Pruitt of Bryan, Texas.

The Sale of Champions is a tradition that is held at the end of the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE). Grand and reserve champions from three junior market shows, including steer, wether and market hog, are sold to the highest bidder. Eighty percent of the money raised goes back to the exhibitor and is often times used for expenses incurred raising the livestock shown at the NAILE, for college expenses, and for reinvestment on the farm. Ten percent is retained by the Sale of Champions Committee to promote the buyers. The remaining 10 percent goes to Kentucky Harvest, a non-profit organization that will use the animal's meat to feed the less fortunate in Louisville and Southern Indiana.