Krom wins champion shorthorn at Fulton County 4H Fair

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Tanner Krom

Playing golf might be a frustrating game, but when compared to raising cattle, Tanner Krom said the answer was clear when asked which sport is more frustrating.

“Definitely cattle,” Krom said.

The work, however, is paying off.

Krom, who is in his ninth year in 4-H and who will be a senior at Rochester in the fall, finished with the fifth overall steer and won the champion shorthorn at the Fulton County 4-H Fair Beef Show Tuesday.

“Well, obviously, if you look at it, I did pretty well, but I feel like my steer didn’t walk the best, and clearly it didn’t, but it still looked good enough to get fifth overall,” Krom said.

Including mini 4-H. Krom said he has been showing cattle for 10 or 11 years. He was asked if showing cattle gets easier over time.

“Not at all,” Krom said. “As you get older, it gets more competitive. You’re trying to win more, and you put more effort into your animals.”

Krom said he started working with his animals in late April or early May. 

“I started working with my animals, getting them halter-broke at least more, so they would walk better,” Krom said. “To make sure they would eat correctly and then start washing them so their hair is all going the right way. Months of work goes into getting them to walk and look how they do.”

Krom was asked how important diet is for the animal. He said every cow is different.

“So diet is one of the biggest reasons because the judge doesn’t look at how you show the calf but mainly how the calf looks itself,” Krom said. “The way you feed it and fill it out is one of the most important things. And just the little changes can change a lot – what feed you give them and how much and everything like that.”

Krom is also a three-year officer of FFA. He is the sentinel, keeping track of a point system to give rewards to the members.

“FFA is a big commitment,” Krom said. “We do lots of stuff every year FFA week – the pork chop dinner, the auction, lots of stuff.”

Krom said he plans on coming out for the Rochester football team this fall. He hopes to be the kicker.

“I’m kicking for the football team,” Krom said. “So if I make all the field goals I kick, we’ll win some games.”

Krom is the son of Wayne and Johnie Krom of Rochester.