A NIGHT FOR THE BOOKS

A NIGHT FOR THE BOOKS Subhead Record sales, donations add up at Stock Show 2024 Virginia S. Gilstrap, Reporter Wed, 04/24/2024 - 06:08 Image

• This year’s winner of the Honorary Stock Show Supporter Award, Greg Gossett, center, is surrounded by the Cuero Livestock Show Board of Directors. Gossett was honored for his decades of service to the agriculture community as a businessman and volunteer. Twenty years ago, Gossett’s father, Dr. Jay Gossett, received the same award. (Photo courtesy of John Hudgeons Photography)
• Briley Wieland shows her Grand Champion Goat at the 75th Annual Cuero Livestock Show. Since she had three champion animals up for auction, she decided to donate the sale of one of them back to the building fund. Her generosity inspired donations for this goat, totaling $78,000. (Donated photo.)
• Auctioneer Joe Adams has some fun with Ella Jander, the Grand Champion in Baked Items, Bread Division. (Donated photo.)

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Cuero’s ag community stepped up even more this year at the 75th Annual Cuero Livestock Show, bringing in a record $1,318,999 in total sales for the youth, many of whom in turn donated to the Ag Friar building fund.

“For the last seven or eight years, it keeps clicking up,” Stock Show President Greg Gossett said. “This is a very giving community. When you put young people in front of them, people are generous.”

Gossett, who has been president of the stock show since 2017, also won the Honorary Stock Show Supporter Award for 2024. As the president and CEO of Allied Feeds, or Ful-O-Pep, he has supported agriculture, community and youth events throughout DeWitt County for 37 years.

“So many kids are affected by the money (from livestock sales),” Gossett said, “whether it’s going to college or getting their first start.”

Gossett and AgriLife Extension Agent Anthony Netardus agree that the well-organized system of buying syndicates in DeWitt County factors in the success of the auctions.

People who don’t have the resources to give thousands of dollars, said Netardus, can give $100 or $200 along with many others to really make an impact.

“My wife and I give $100 each year,” Netardus said, of his contribution to the Poor Boys buying group. “It’s good people getting more people involved,” he said of groups like the Outlaws, Shoestring and Mixed Nuts.

Auctioneer Joe Adams agrees that DeWitt County is “the most generous community ever, and that started before Eagle Ford amplified everything.”

Over the years Adams has seen a tenfold increase in final sales, from breaking $100,000 his first year at the mic in 1984 to last year’s breaking of the $1 million mark.

Adams is also credited for lending to this year’s success.

“Joe Adams makes it fun by picking on everybody a little,” Gossett said.”He’s not just going through the motions, like they do at other auctions.”

Netardus agreed. “Joe can get money out of people without them getting mad.”

Of his contribution, Adams said he has the best seat in the house. “You get a lot more money from people who are smiling, and over the years we’ve had a lot of fun, probably more than allowed.”

Adams said with the Harvey Miller matching funds, “we have a real opportunity to burn that note at the end of May.”

“This created a perfect storm for a big event,” Gossett said, referring to record donations by student competitors, totalling $98,000.

Not only do competitors earn funds with their agriculture projects, but they also usually donate portions back toward the building fund. This year triple-winner Briley Wieland donated the whole proceeds from the sale of her grand champion goat. When word of this got around, an anonymous donor bid $50,000, which inspired others to add on $1,000-$2,000 for a total price of $78,000. This sale and $20,000 more donated back from other competitors totaled $98,000 from the youth.

“It was very rewarding how the community came together that night,” Briley said. “Together they raised so much!”

Briley, 16, attends school online so she can compete in livestock shows nationwide. At the state fair and the Louisville Stock Show, she won reserve champion goat, and at the Houston Livestock Show she won the Division 2 Breed.

“It’s a lot of hard work and a lot of hours in the barn,” she said of her success.

“And a lot of prayer,” her mother, Candace, added.

Briley will attend Tarleton State University in Stephenville with the goal of raising goats professionally. “I want to work with students to help them show,” she said.