Teen Honors Late Father's Legacy by Showing Prized Steer at Houston Rodeo

A Bittersweet Rodeo Journey

• 💔 Frankie Ramirez, a junior at Dyess High School, is participating in the Houston Rodeo with his steer, Titan, in a bittersweet moment that honors his late father's dreams.
• 😔 His father, Florencio Ramirez, was tragically killed less than a week before the rodeo by a drunk driver.

Raising Titan: A Father-Son Project

• 🐂 For the past year, Frankie and his father worked together to raise Titan, a charolais steer, from 300 to over 1,800 pounds through the FFA program.
• 💡 Frankie was inspired by his father to take on this project, which was a shared dream for them.

Overcoming Grief and Honoring a Promise

• 🚫 Frankie initially considered not showing Titan after his father's death but remembered his dad's words: "he didn't raise quitters."
• 💭 His father had shown him a picture of a steer at the rodeo from 2019, saying, "this will be us one day."

Stepping Up for Family

• 👨‍👦 With his father's passing, Frankie, as the oldest of four children, feels he must step up to support his family and help his mother with bills.
• 🎓 This means he will likely have to sell Titan and say goodbye to FFA after this year, deviating from the original plan to keep him for his senior year and pass him to his sister.

A Final Walk for Legacy

• 🏆 Frankie has decided to walk Titan through the arena one last time to be presented before the judges, making his family proud and honoring his father's legacy.
• 🙏 He believes his father is watching him, and he is determined to finish this project for him.