“Madi’s biggest growth came when she realized Boone’s progress depended entirely on her consistency,” says Erin Steinman, Madi’s mom. “When things didn’t go as planned, whether it was weight gain, behavior, or training, she learned she couldn’t wait for someone else to fix it. She had to adjust, ask questions, and put in the work every single day. That ownership changed her.”
For 18-year-old Madi Steinman of Bennett, Colorado, that shift was built day by day through her year in the Catch-a-Calf program alongside her Hereford steer, Boone. For more than 80 years, Catch-a-Calf has taught young people what it takes to raise a steer, starting with a moment many Stock Show fans recognize instantly, when dozens of kids sprint into the rodeo arena to catch a calf and earn the responsibility of caring for one for the year, and showing it at the following year’s Stock Show.
That responsibility did not feel natural to Madi at first. Like many participants, this was Madi’s first time raising a steer, and she was keenly aware of how much she still had to learn. Madi was worried that she was “behind” compared to others. “Since it is my first year, my nervousness came from all the things I needed to learn and feeling behind,” Madi says. “But as time passed, those nerves quickly went away as I learned about grooming, feeding, exercise, and so much more. With every day that passes, I feel more and more confident in what I was doing and with Boone’s progress.”
Madi’s early months with Boone demanded consistency and an almost obsessive attention to detail. She learned his temperament fast, including his strong preference for lounging whenever possible. “Figuring out the right balance of feed, exercise, daily routines, and training, especially teaching him to keep his head up while walking and slowly building his endurance, took a lot of time and patience,” Madi said. “But, once I started to see his progress, it made all the hard work worth it,” she continued. More importantly, it reassured her she was doing things right, even on the days Boone would have preferred to park it on the ground and call it good.
As the year progressed, the changes in both Madi and Boone became noticeable. A year with Boone shaped Madi in subtle yet lasting ways, a shift her family noticed as well. “She handled setbacks with a lot of maturity, especially when things didn’t go as planned. Rather than getting discouraged, she reached out to resources to find a solution and continued moving forward. Seeing that kind of resilience was inspiring to watch and made me proud,” Erin says.
Throughout the year, Madi stepped up to the plate with a smile on her face as she tracked feed, planned budgets, ordered supplies, and even got a job to pay for all of Boone’s needs, managing the full scope of responsibility herself. “Planning a budget, purchasing feed and supplies, and picking up feed for Boone showed me I can handle big responsibilities and challenges,” she says. “When challenges arise, I’m able to face them head-on, knowing there’s always a solution.”
In preparation for the 2026 National Western Stock Show, Madi took Boone to public livestock shows, which became checkpoints rather than conclusions. At her first show, Diamond on the Plains in Keenesburg, she learned how to prepare Boone for the ring and meet judges’ expectations. When they took the champion title in the Catch-a-Calf class, it was so much more than a 1st place ribbon. “Taking champion boosted my confidence tremendously and gave me a greater sense of pride when it came to working with and showing Boone,” Madi says.Still, the most important lessons aren’t from the championship ribbons they took home from livestock shows. “Being responsible means showing up every day to work with Boone, even when I’m tired or frustrated,” she says. “Progress takes time, and sometimes you put in a lot of effort without seeing results right away.”
Erin reflects on the year with pride. “Seeing Madi transition from depending on others for guidance to confidently knowing how to solve problems herself has been especially rewarding,” she says.
As her year with Boone comes to an end, Madi is clear about what she would tell Catch-a-Calf newbies. “Go in with your head held high and with excitement. Not everything is going to be easy or go as you planned, but you will learn something new from every moment you spend with your calf. Be open to making new connections and relationships with people. Everyone wants to help you and has something to say, and it’s very important that you listen,” she says. Now, as Madi and Boone prepare to enter the show ring at the 2026 National Western Stock Show, they do so with a year of hard work and daily dedication behind them. Boone reflects the consistency of Madi’s care, and Madi carries forward a confidence grounded in experience. The lessons she has learned alongside Boone go far beyond this year. Madi will take the responsibility, patience, and trust in her own judgment into every room she enters, all because of a steer named Boone.
Stay tuned for the next chapter in Madi and Boone’s Stock Show story.
