Soule: Cupid's Arrow Hits Topper the Ox

Concord NH

23 February, 2021

6:37 PM

Description

In celebration of Valentine's Day, Topper, a 1,400-pound, black Highlander steer, posed for hours next to a sleigh covered with red hearts and gleaming tinsel here on Miles Smith Farm. Visitors sat in the sleigh for pictures or admired the ox's massive horns, brushed his soft hair, and fed him carrots and apples (his favorite). You'd think a steer would be an unlikely participant in a Valentine's Day event. For the uninitiated, a steer is a bull that has been neutered. This is done to keep control of breeding programs, and to make the animal easier to manage, especially around females. But Topper is atypical.After five hours of wooing his admirers, Topper rejoined the five steers who share a pasture with him. Shannon, a 2-year-old black Angus heifer, lives in a pasture across from Topper and the boys. That evening, looking for love, she discovered a break in the electric fence and found a way into their pasture, where she spent the evening. Topper was smitten by this young temptress. How do I put this? From his behavior, you'd never know he wasn't a bull. Read More Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, where she raises and sells beef, pork, lamb, eggs, and other local products.