Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo: Showcasing ranching dedication and opportunities

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Ranching is not easy, and the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo showcases the work that goes into that job field. But along with showing what ranchers experience, the event is also an open door for those who want to explore the ranching lifestyle.

With so many ranchers at the stock show, it can be overwhelming for someone who is just starting to become more involved in the ranching field to know what to look for in livestock, but that’s what the stock show is also meant to do: not only is it a place to buy and sell, but it’s also a place for people and ranchers to learn more about what they should look for to make their program stand out.

“You don’t have to buy; you can just come out and visit these guys and find out where the genetics are going and how to use them. Maybe they fit your program, maybe they don’t, but it’s a great place to showcase that and have great conversations with the people that are raising them,” explained Central States Fair and Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo board member Justin Tupper.

Along with learning more about genetics and what type of cattle fits a rancher’s program, this is an ideal place to make connections with other ranching families and companies, and for a Charolais breeder from Minnesota, having those connections makes a big difference, especially coming from a place where there is a limited ranching pool to choose from.

“Meeting those ranchers, and we come out this way because in Minnesota we don’t have that pool of ranchers to showcase our genetics too; there’s just not that many numbers,” explained Charolais Breeder Kim Schwecke. “It’s an opportunity for cattle producers to exhibit their genetics out here and to get them exposed to new breeders who take those genetics back to their program to increase the rate of growth or any trait they want to pass on to their cattle.”

Whether you are just starting, looking to start, or are a well-established rancher, the Black Hills Stock Show is just one resource in a field that requires dedication and ambition.

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