First time ever in Platte County:

By Jacob Hamel | Editor

WHEATLAND — Chase Markel, of Wheatland, has shown a very successful run of showing livestock so far.
In the summer of 2006, Markel was given his first calf by his uncle, Travis McIntosh, and he said the bucket calf show during the Platte County Fair is what ignited his passion for livestock and the show industry.
For the first time, Markel was eligible to show in 4-H during the following winter. His debut was the National Western Stock Show where he exhibited a steer and a heifer, winning in both classes. “That was the moment when my passion was realized and the rest is history,” Markel said. “Since that day, I have been addicted to showing livestock and working in the industry.”

Over the course of the last 10 years, Markel has exhibited animals of four species in shows across Wyoming and Colorado. He has won grand champion honors in market beef, market lamb, market swine, market goat, breeding heifer and breeding gilt. Along with these accomplishments, he’s also won showmanship in all four species except sheep.
“To this day, my favorite show memory was making the sale with a fat steer at the National Western and getting the opportunity to walk across the green carpet in 2012,” Markel said.
Markel said, after winning the steer show for the second time at the Platte County Fair, he realized he could do so much more. The following year, he bought sheep and started a new journey.
“After winning the sheep show that year, it became apparent that I could accomplish something that had never been done before,” Markel said. “So I made it my goal to win all four livestock species at the Platte County Fair.
Markel plans to livestock judge at Northeastern Junior College and pursue a degree in animal science. He also said he would like to raise show livestock and spend many years on the other side of the showring.
“I credit a lot of my success to hard work but without a few special people, my goals would have never been realized,” Markel said. “So I would like to thank Travis McIntosh, Bryan Wilson, Brice McIntosh, my parents and sister, along with the rest of my family who have supported me throughout the years.”

ABOVE: Chase Markel shows off his heifer, Baldy, in 2014.

(Courtesy photo)