Jerry Hill, manager at Rock Creek Ranch near Clark, guides Leroy, the famous steer, across the creek with the family Christmas tree on its back. The 12-foot tree looks small compared to the 1,700-pound, 17.1-hand tall steer.
POWELL -At the Rock Creek Ranch in the Clarks Fork Canyon, Leroy, the nearly 2-ton ranch "mooscot," still has free run of the iconic ranch land. And now he has developed a taste for Christmas.
"He loves Christmas as long as he's eating," said ranch manager Jerry Hill of the people-loving steer.
Recently Leroy accompanied the Hill family on a trip to the woods on the ranch to pick out the ranch family's Christmas tree. They found the perfect evergreen. Hill knew it was the right one because Leroy loved it. Well, sort of.
"When we went to get the tree he tried to eat it," Hill said with a chuckle.
They chopped down the tree with care and tied it to Leroy's back.
The 12-foot tree looked small up there, but it was the biggest tree Hill has ever picked. Since he didn't have to lug it back to the ranch by himself, he went a little crazy and picked a big one, he said.
Ranch owner Judith Jefferis purchased Leroy as a calf to help train the ranch horses for roping. Then, during the ranch's annual Independence Day celebration, Leroy came out to join the party. He ate watermelon, got rides in the back of the utility vehicle and made bonds with the families that will last the rest of his life.
"He must have been bottle-fed," Jefferis speculated at the time, adding, "He acts like a dog. He follows you around and he comes when you call him."
If Leroy didn't have such a lovable personality, his owners may have turned him into some tasty meals. But this Holstein steer is loved, like any member of the family, and has had a home at the ranch for the past four years.
"From now 'till age 16 or 17, or whenever he dies of natural causes, he'll just be a completely useless animal except for the joy he brings," said Jefferis. "He's just a big, docile, lovable, old thing."
He's still growing. Leroy was 16 hands high and weighed about 1,000 pounds when the Tribune paid him a visit in June of 2021. About 18 months later, he is 17.1 hands high and more than 1,700 pounds, Hill said.
"We still ride him and he does great," he said. "He greets you in the morning and is always trying to sneak into the buildings."
Hill had to spend about $3,500 in panels to protect equipment around the ranch. Leroy likes to scratch himself, but at his size he can do some real damage to fix his itch.
"People told me they would have just got rid of the cow before investing that much in wood. But we'd never do that," Hill said.
Leroy has made a new friend; a Scottish Highland cow named 6M owned by Wade Hill, Jerry and Samantha Hill's 9-year-old son. Wade named the friendly bovine after his very own John Deere tractor he bought with earnings from livestock he raised.
The two seem to really enjoy each other's company, but Leroy still rules the roost.
However, with every year he grows, it is becoming harder for Leroy to join his human friends around the house.
"He doesn't even fit in our cattle chutes anymore," Hill said.
Leroy is gaining fame, from his stories in local media to carrying Jefferis while serving as the grand marshal in the Clark parade.
But his gentle personality is what wins everyone over.
"I've been around a lot of animals - a lot of cows and a lot of horses - and Leroy is one of a kind," Hill said. "Leroy really enjoys company. And you know, who knows where he may have ended up if we didn't buy him. But ever since, this is his domain."
He may never get to be at the table with his loved ones due to his gigantic size, but at least he'll never be served on the dinner table for a holiday feast.
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