DALLAS, TX — Two Wall students with a history of winning at Texas’ biggest livestock shows have done it again. Blaize Benson and Stratley Strube, neighbors and friends from Tom Green County, each took top honors at the 2025 State Fair of Texas livestock competitions in Dallas.
Blaize, a junior at Wall High School, exhibited the Champion Lightweight AOB (All Other Breeds) Market Steer, bred by Horn Livestock and Ronnie Belew and sired by Whiskey Business. The steer sold Friday afternoon for $16,000 at auction.
“We knew we had a good one going in,” said Bryan Benson, Blaize’s father. “We broke in the right class, and everything was in our favor. It was a tough class, tough show, but the judge really liked him. He showed really good, and he came out on top.”
Wall High School junior Blaize Benson exhibited the Champion Lightweight AOB Market Steer at the 2025 State Fair of Texas in Dallas. His steer sold for $16,000 at auction.
Blaize's win adds to his resume after capturing Grand Champion Steer at RodeoHouston 2024, where his Simmental steer sold for a record $1 million. He took home $70,000 from that sale. This year’s State Fair title comes amid a busy fall — he plays cornerback for Wall’s varsity football team and was scheduled to make kickoff against Idalou Friday night after returning from Dallas.
“It’s what we love to do,” Bryan said. “Both the Strubes and us put a lot of time and effort. Just seeing them out there at the barn helps drive us, but we’ve got to stay locked in too if we want to be that competitive like they are.”
Bryan said Blaize plans to attend either Texas Tech or Texas A&M, study agriculture, and possibly compete in livestock judging.
“Hard work pays off,” Bryan said. “It makes it nice whenever a lot of people try to achieve this, but seeing your time and efforts pay off is very rewarding.”
Meanwhile, Stratley Strube, an eighth grader with Tom Green County 4-H, showed the Grand Champion Market Lamb, bred by Fletcher Flynn and sired by Griddy. Her lamb brought $31,000 in the State Fair auction.
Her father, Slayton Strube, said the win capped months of preparation that began after purchasing the lamb in March. Stratley spent hours each day training and caring for the animal.
“The one word that comes to mind is sacrifice,” Strube said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s hot or cold or raining or whatever it might be, you make that commitment of time and sacrifice to an animal. You just can’t turn the lights off.”
Tom Green County 4-H member Stratley Strube won Grand Champion Market Lamb at the 2025 State Fair of Texas. Her lamb sold for $31,000 at auction.
Strube said his daughter was thrilled by the victory but also emotional about saying goodbye to the animal she had worked with since spring. “It’s not something they get to keep,” he said. “There were cheers, but also tears. That’s the reality of it.”
This is not her first major win. Stratley previously earned Reserve Grand Champion Lamb at RodeoHouston 2024, where her lamb sold for a record $240,000, and she also captured Grand Champion at the San Antonio Stock Show in 2022.
“I don’t think that a lot of people really understand how big a win or a victory it is,” Strube said. “I mean, it’d be like winning the state championship football game."
Subscribe to the LIVE! Daily
Required
Post a comment to this article here: