Claude to Amarillo (59 km)

Early morning we raced of direction Amarillo to see the cattle auction there. It takes place every Tuesday and we were really curious to see how it works. We got there in time and it was faszinating. Animal after animal is brought in and auctioned. The auctioner rattles down the price in a nearly ununderstandable quick song sounding voice. The buyers, only men and most of them with nice cowboy huts, move just a finger or an elbow to show, that they bid. It took us a while to figure that out. Until then we sat there motionless, didn´t dare to move a hand, in order not to buy a bull by accident.

Today, about 1000 heads were auctioned. Later we talked to a farmer who told us, that because of the most severe draught here since many years, farmer begin to sell their livestock. There is nothing left to eat for the animals on the praries. And indeed, many animals looked rather underfed.

This area is a great beef producing place, more than 20´000 animals get slaugthered here daily. Just seeing how much meat is eaten here, that might not be enough. We calculated this to be about 15-20% of the US daily consumption.  

On the way into town we passed a restaurant were they give you a 72 oz (about 2.3 kilogramms) steak for free, providing you eat it in less than one hour, including the baked potato that comes with it. The record is 8 minutes, so quick someone ate it. But we did not find out, how the poor guy felt afterward.

Anyway, we went there in the evening, with a real free limo service. The food was great, the place too. Two guys tried to eat the very 72 oz steak. The were placed on a elevated stage, a big announcement was made and then they started. Everybody could watch them eat. They started like hungry tigers, supported by cheers from the whole restaurant and their family. After arround 30 minutes, they had not finished but looked like future vegetariens. Finally it ended in bitter defeat, they didn´t eat it all and had to pay 72 $ each.   



Fresh into the race, everthing looks still good