In spite of a fed cattle market that is dealing with the strongest consumer demand and tightest cattle supply in recent years on one hand, and the uncertainty of higher grain and feeder cattle prices—or perhaps because of it—the 2004 TCFA Fed Beef Challenge notched an upbeat event recently as cattle feeders went head to head in one of the oldest and most competitive events of its kind.

Sponsored by the Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA), the Fed Beef Challenge is a contest designed to let cattle feeders compete in producing the high quality beef that consumers demand. Feedyards enter a pen of three steers or heifers and after the cattle are processed, the carcasses are scored on an index developed by TCFA to identify optimum carcass value. The index uses a base of 100 points and is adjusted for ribeye area, internal fat, backfat, yield grade and quality grade to arrive at a final score.

First place pen of steers was won by Cactus Feedyard at Cactus, with a pen of three that totaled 309.7 points. Second place went to Cattle Town Feeders at Hereford with a pen that tallied 296.8 and third place was won by Farwell Feedyard at Farwell with a pen that scored 282.1.

First place pen of heifers was captured by Tri State Feeders at Turpin, Okla. with a pen that earned 276 points. Second place went to Hale Center Feedyard at Hale Center with a pen that scored 269.1 and third place was won by Southwest Feedyard at Hereford with a pen that netted 262 points.

Grand champion individual carcass honors were captured by Southwest Feedyard with a heifer that tallied 110.82 points.

In the judging contest, Robby Kirkland with Kirkland Feedyard at Vega won a trophy saddle for capturing the feedyard personnel evaluation contest and Monty Wheeler, manager at Tejas Feeders at Pampa, captured a Kenneth Wyatt sculpture for winning the manager’s Judge Your Own evaluation contest. In the Public Evaluation division, Kenny Thies of Goodwell, Okla., captured first place; Craig Pruet of Baird, Texas, won second; and Michael Jenkins of Amarillo took third. ©