Denver’s National Western Stock Show sets $1.8M auction record, 750K attendance record

Clustered inside a packed auction room in Denver, bidders at the National Western Stock Show set at least seven new records last week, including for both bids on top animals and the junior livestock auction’s overall sales, according to event officials.

The top eight animals — including the Grand Champion Market Steer, which sold for $320,000 — collectively generated more than $822,000, according to a news release from the National Western Stock Show. That beats the old record for sales by the top-ranking animals by $185,000, stock show officials said in the release.

Of the thousands of junior market animals that competed at the stock show in Denver this year, only 108 advanced to the auction, according to the release. The proceeds from the auction help fund the National Western Scholarship Trust, which supports education in agriculture and related fields.

Overall auction sales across all 108 animals totaled a “staggering” $1.8 million, breaking the previous record of roughly $1.4 million, according to the National Western Stock Show.

Records set during this year’s auction include:

• The Grand Champion Steer, Boots, sold for $320,000 to the Bank of Colorado. The previous record of $210,000 was set in 2025. Boots was shown by 13-year-old Cannon Reinmann of South Dakota.
• The Reserve Grand Champion Hog, Bennie, sold for $120,000 to Transwest Trucks. Bennie was shown by a Colorado local, Bailey Stromberger of Iliff.
• The Grand Champion Lamb, Kiss, sold for $55,000 to the TKM Foundation. Kiss was shown by 16-year-old Sayde Allen from Oklahoma.
• The Reserve Grand Champion Lamb, Willy, was sold for $50,000 to APC Resources. Willy was shown by 16-year-old Delainee Moore of Oklahoma.
• The Reserve Grand Champion Goat, Bonsai, sold for $32,500 to Bruce and Bev Wagner. Bonsai was shown by 15-year-old Dayton Mortvedt of Iowa.

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The 120th National Western Stock Show also smashed attendance records, with 750,039 people showing up for the 2026 event, according to organizers. The previous record of 726,972 attendees was set in 2006, stock show officials said.

“This year was bigger than ever, and Denver came together to celebrate the Western way of life,” Wes Allison, stock show president and CEO, said in a statement. “Stock Show is about honoring our roots, inspiring the next generation, and creating memories that last a lifetime.”

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