A day in the life: Raising a steer to show at the rodeo

LAKE JACKSON, Texas (KTRK) -- The pandemic has cancelled a lot of big events, like this year's Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. But students are still getting the chance to take part in the Junior Livestock and Horse Show competitions.

That includes Sarah Heimeyer of Lake Jackson.

The Brazosport Christian School sophomore will be showing her Red Angus steer, Scooby, on Thursday in the Calf Scramble and Junior Steer Shows.

Before the sun even rises, Sarah is out at the barn most days, taking care of Scooby.

"I wake up at around 6:00, get to the barn at 6:15, and then I take Scooby out, I tie him up, and then I clean his stall," she said. "And then we go out to the arena, we work a little bit, work on setting up so we're ready for the show ring. And then we go back, I feed him, I unhalter him, and I go to school."

Her work continues as soon as the school day ends.

"Around 4:30 each day, I get back out here," Sarah added. "It's a little more tedious in the evenings, but we go ahead and set up, wash him, dry him, do some more setting up and walking, and then he gets fed and I go see my longhorns."

Heimeyer also has two longhorns, a steer and a heifer, who she has been showing for the past three years.

"We know that it takes hard work, but I think just the hard work that you have to do and what you get out of it is something that I really love," said Sarah. "Getting that Grand Champion slap is the best feeling that you'll ever have in your life. To know that you worked with that animal, and that you picked that animal out and you made that animal succeed, is something that's been a lot of fun for me to get to do. That's why I love it. It's a lot of fun."

Click on the video above to see what a day in the life of a junior steer exhibitor is like, from sunup to sundown!