Cattle get spruced up for the annual Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Going once, going twice, sold to the highest bidder. This is a familiar phrase at the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo.

But before ranchers can hear those golden words, they spend hours primping their cattle for auction.

Starting the day before the sun comes up, ranchers bring their cattle inside the Monument for a wash.

After getting the cows clean, the animals are taken back to their stall for drying. The whole process takes about 2 hours to get the cattle ready for the show and sale.

Why spend hours beautifying cows? The better they look, the more they will probably sell for at auction.

“A lot of the shows we got to are just shows and you’re just there competing and kind of showcasing your animals. But here you’re showcasing them and every single animal that gets shown is sold. So, this is a really great place for us to come and visit with our customers, old and new, and meet new people,” said Cally Kindred of Thomas Ranch and regular stock show attendee.

The Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo features nearly 10 breeds of cattle in auctions.

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