DES MOINES, Iowa — Families in 4-H woke up before sunrise Wednesday morning to get their cattle ready for showing at the Iowa State Fair.
One of the families was the Hoopes from Louisa County.
William Hoopes, a tenth grader in the 4-H program was preparing to show his steer named Cupcake.
"They're hairy, they're sweet," Hoopes said.
Cupcake is a little over a year old, and the family has had the steer since he was a few months old. To get him ready to be shown at the fair, the owners have to wash, rinse and style him.
The process can take up to two hours.
William said raising Cupcake and being a part of 4-H teaches great life lessons.
"Hard work and like dedication," William said. "Cause this like, I mean, this is a full time all year thing…Yeah, this is what I do."
Some of the aspects the judge is looking for with the steer are weight, the build of the animal and walk.
The owner said Cupcake walks like a cat.
Cupcake placed 3rd in his competition.
Watch more clips from Good Morning Iowa about the steer and other Iowa State Fair events on Local 5's YouTube channel
Local 5 and CW Iowa 23 are bringing exciting experiences to you, from live newscasts to a real-life Local 5 Weather Lab experience. The CW Iowa 23 booth will be located on Grand Avenue, and the Local 5 Weather team can be found near the Giant Slide.
Both booths will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day of the fair.
► Find full fair coverage at weareiowa.com/fair.
► Find the latest health and safety precautions here.