Kevin Jensen judged the market beef show last week at the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo. A Kansas cattleman, Jensen believes in good livestock, good kids and behaving with integrity.

When the time came for the grand drive, the announcer brought in the reserve champion steers from each weight division, and they walked through the show ring not unlike a group of boxers in Vegas. The crowd continued to gather and there was a palpable tension in the pavilion as the champions from each division were led in by the youth exhibitors who had earned a spot in this drive. Jensen took another thorough look at the cattle, preparing to select the grand and reserve champions for the year.

Sarah Pfannebecker, whose 17-year-old son, Justin, had two steers in the grand drive, tightened her grip on her husband’s shoulder. Steve Gabel, whose grandson, Stetson, 11, was leading his division winner past the judge, leaned forward to get a better look. Grandparents watching the live stream scooted closer to the computer and hoped for strong internet connections. Parents and siblings and exhibitors who didn’t qualify for the grand drive filled the stands and the make-up area. Even with the giant fans working, the distinct smells of aerosol adhesives, finishing oils and pine shavings hung in the air.

Jensen made his way to take the mic in his hand, the same way he had when he last selected a champion in this pavilion 15 years ago. He told the crowd about the importance of county and state fairs, both in the era of their beginnings and now.

“We needed to bring agriculture to town. We needed to showcase what we were doing so the folks in the cities could see it, and, of course in those days everyone was very close to agriculture,” he said. “Today, more importantly, we need to bring agriculture to town because it’s just the opposite. There are not many folks out here producing food for the world.”

Jensen began talking to the crowd about the two steers that set themselves apart from the pack based on the attributes that landed them in the grand drive. Photographers scrambled to position themselves at the angle to get the shot of Jensen’s choice as he took another walk through the ring.

He circled Gabel and Pfannebecker’s steers. A baby in the crowd squealed, grown men wiped their foreheads, and the crowd watched Jensen. He finally walked to Stetson Gabel and shook his hand, selecting his steer Grand Champion. The steer that was second in Gabel’s division was then brought in for consideration, as Jensen went to work selecting his reserve champion.

The pavilion again fell quiet as Jensen considered Pfannebecker’s steer, cheering when Jensen shook his hand, selecting his steer as Reserve Champion. It was another steer of Pfannebecker’s that was chosen third overall, and spectators nodded their appreciation for the feat the young man had accomplished, exhibiting two of the top three steers at the show. The winning steers were whisked off for photos and drug tests and the boys were greeted with hugs and handshakes and tears of all kinds.

Agriculture, as Jensen said, had been brought to town and on Tuesday, the buyers came to town for the junior market livestock sale. The charter buses and sleek stretch SUVs rolled in and unloaded on a hot afternoon. More than 100 4-H and FFA exhibitors were awaiting their arrival and were ready to greet them and visit. The kids answered questions and shook hands and looked potential buyers in the eye and welcomed them all to see the elite livestock that was selected for the sale. More than 1,000 market lambs, steers hogs, and goats showed at the Colorado State Fair and 139 made the walk across the fairgrounds to the sale ring.

World Champion Auctioneer John Korrey was on the mic, a legend in his own right. A few days earlier, he was put to work by his grand kids, blow-drying lambs, helping to prepare them for the show, and buying ice cream afterward. Today, he was on the block looking out across buyers who came both individually and others as part of a group, pooling resources to purchase stock. When he dropped the gavel on the last animal, there was no doubt he had worked hard for every bid.

At the end of the day, it’s not about using kids to raise livestock as much as it is about using livestock to raise kids. Agriculture is raising kids who work and win and lose and learn all with shavings in their shoes and any sense of entitlement left at the door.

Rachel Gabel writes about agriculture and rural issues. She is assistant editor of The Fence Post Magazine, the region’s preeminent agriculture publication. Gabel is a daughter of the state’s oil and gas industry and a member of one of the state’s 12,000 cattle-raising families, and she has authored children’s books used in hundreds of classrooms to teach students about agriculture.