Superior Livestock Auction Big Horn Classic

Buyers stayed aggressive through a volatile week on the futures board as Superior Livestock Auction marketed more than 197,000 head at its Big Horn Classic, held Aug. 17-21 in Sheridan, WY. The offering ran roughly 75% above the head offered a year ago, swelled by drought and fire across the North and West that pushed cattle to market early.

Cattle producers sold a total of 1,357 lots consigned from 32 states, with 390 successful buyers over the five-day auction. Cattle sold on contract to deliver immediately through April 2027.

“Good cattle, good people, good markets,” said Superior auctioneer Kyle Shobe. “From the auction block, it was evident again and again—short supply and balanced optimism is still driving the cash market. Yes, we have seen an adjustment since the highs of June, but there’s no question we’re still in high times in the cattle business. Remember where we’ve been, keep it in perspective, manage what you can control.”

Calves out of North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana anchored the sale. Northern five-weight steers brought $385-520/cwt, slightly tested at $2-22/cwt lower than the last test. Heifers drew unusually broad interest, with buyers competing for the lighter end, four-weight Northern heifers bringing $540/cwt, and six-weight heifers reaching $480/cwt; heifers held their value across every region and in some cases higher than steers. Bred stock was in strong demand with first-calf heifer pairs topping the market at $5,850 per head.

Genetics again carried a visible premium. Buyers paid up for large, uniform lots out of regions whose purebred breeders have spent decades building consistency into commercial herds, and a special Charolais section on the auction’s third day drew seedstock producers into the room to stand behind their bull customers.

The auction opened days after a sharp break in the futures market with Tyson Foods announcing plant closures. The CME Feeder Cattle Index slid throughout the week. Against that backdrop, prices across the Big Horn Classic finished steady with the 2025 offering, an auction that had set records in nearly every class a year ago.