R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press 17-year-old McKennon Hill of Cooks, Mich. poses with Chewbacca, the grand champion steer at the 2025 Upper Peninsula State Fair.

ESCANABA — This year’s grand champion steer at the Upper Peninsula State Fair was raised by McKennon Hill, who lives in Cooks and will be a senior this upcoming year at Big Bay de Noc School. The animal’s name is Chewie, and he weighed in at 1,211 pounds.

Hill has been raising livestock since he was a small child. In 2021, he also took the award for grand champion steer.

Chewie — short for Chewbacca, named by Hill’s mother after the Star Wars character — was purchased through an online sale on Nov. 4, 2024. At the time, Hill estimated, the steer weighed a little less than 750 pounds.

It’s tough work raising cattle, especially for show, but “once you get older, you get used to it,” Hill said.

The day after Chewie was named grand champion, Hill was in the ring again, showing a pig. Pigs are a good animal for children to start with, he advised.

“Don’t start off your kids with, like, a show steer right from the jump. Start them off with something light, like a pig, that’s a little easier, and then work your way up.”

Chewie was an animal who didn’t always want to eat, Hill said. That likely contributed to the steer not weighing as much as others, but Hill’s showmanship and Chewie’s coat made the pair stand out.

When asked what part of raising the steer he enjoyed, Hill said:

“I like bringing him out of the barn, rinsing him, working his hair for countless hours.”

He explained that Chewie’s fresh coat is the product of slick-shearing, wherein the fur is shaved off and new growth is stimulated.

The reserve grand champion was raised by Marlee Larson of Wilson. Her steer, named Frodo, weighed in at 1,402 pounds.

A steer raised by Larson won grand champion at the U.P. State Fair in 2019. This year, Larson is also showing her second lamb, which is on the market, too.

Both Larson and Hill were seeking buyers for their steers as of Wednesday afternoon.

Hill and Larson, both aged 17, said they will not be raising show cattle next year. Though the Upper Peninsula State Fair allows youths up to the age of 19 to compete, Hill said he’s happy to end on this high note, and Larson wants to focus on college.

Courtesy photo
Marlee Larson, of Wilson, and her steer, named Frodo pose for a photo after Frodo was named the Reserve Champion Steer. The steer weighed in at 1,402 pounds.