Wildorado Cattle Company prepares students with real-world agriculture business experiences

WILDORADO, Texas (KFDA) - A student-led Black Angus operation in Wildorado is preparing for it’s second annual cattle sale this weekend.

This full-time business run by students prepares them by providing them with real-world experience for future work in the industry.

“Our second annual sale, we could not be more proud," said Jessica Merrell, student and head of communications department at Wildorado Cattle Company. "This year we have a lot of eyes on us, probably double the amount we did last year. To have that kind of pressure, it makes us worried, but then other times, it’s like, we got this. That just means we have double the support.”

The students with the cattle company have proven in the past, they take their opportunity to participate in local cattle sales seriously, especially with the support of the community.

“We have a lot of confidence, because we have a lot of support," said Merrell. "And with that support, we feel the love, the ‘yes, you can do this,’ and that helps us tremendously, knowing that we have the backup and the support from everybody we come into contact with.”

While the students are confident now, they encountered a lot of bumps in the road that helped them better prepare for this year.

“We found a ton of bumps along the way," said Cody Bonds, agriculture teacher at Wildorado School. "We spent the last year, from the first sale to this one, trying to eliminate as much of those bumps as possible. Obviously if you’re satisfied, then you’re pretty much done progressing, and we’re not about that here.”

After preparing 25 head of cattle to sell this weekend, their hard work paid off in the end.

“All of our leftover money goes into a scholarship fund," said Abby Albracht, freshman at Wildorado High School. "At the end of your senior year, depending on how much work you did and how much you were involved, depends on how much you get for your scholarship.”

The students are eager to showcase their work and cattle this weekend at the Amarillo West Stockyards, just west of Bushland, staring at noon on Saturday.

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