CALF_News_August_September_2019

26 CALF News • August | September 2019 • www.calfnews.net E mpire is probably the most appropriate word to use when trying to describe the world of beef we live in here in western Kansas. Also appropriate is having a massive celebration of our most prized product. While Kansas is full of festivals that celebrate our commodities, none of them can quite compete with Beef Empire Days in Finney County. Boasting several “beefy” events each year, Beef Empire Days has maintained tradition while also upping their marketing game to ensure that the community continues to be included, and understand and appreciate the significance of beef and its production. From chuckwagons to cooking competitions, golf tourna- ments, rodent racing, carnivals, rodeos, cookoffs and of course the parade, the list of Beef Empire Days events is too long to discuss in one sitting. Here are some highlights from the 2019 fiesta. (If you are interested in a complete list of competition results, visit https://beefempiredays.com ) PRCA Rodeo During Beef Empire Days there are noticeably more horse trailers around town, and not the horse trailers that are common for the smaller rodeos held in Finney County. These trailers have come from all over the state and country, bringing cowboys and cowgirls (and their horses) to compete in one of the “best rodeos on the planet.” This year Miss Rodeo Kansas, Brooke Wallace; Miss Rodeo Idaho, Sara Weekes; Miss Rodeo K-State, Jamie Nemechek; Miss Rodeo Junction City, Zoe Bean; McCraken Rodeo Princess, Eva Gaschler; and Miss Teen Rodeo Kansas, Emma Losh, toured local elementary schools to educate kids about what happens at a rodeo. The group showed up in full western wear and showed the kids how they rope and barrel race. Their audience was very interested in the ladies’ presentation until rodeo clown Scott Allerdings stole the show. Nonethe- less, the group absolutely did their part to spark interest, create knowledge and draw a crowd for the event. Parade Main Street Garden City starts getting crowded about an hour and a half before the parade starts, and if you want to get a good seat, being extremely early is a must. It is pretty amazing to see how many people attend the parade, consider- ing there are so many community members in the parade. Even with more than 100 float entries, spectators are shoulder to shoulder, up one side of the street and down the other. There are kids waiting for their candy shower, parents and grandpar- ents waiting to see their family members and an entire com- munity waiting to celebrate. Prizes are given for the best floats and, obviously, the theme is “Beef ” with usually some other twist added here and there. GETT ING THE IR BEEF ON Beef Empire Days 2019 By Katie Prewitt Contributing Editor