2007 Cattle Baron’s Ball

They may not be playing on the field at Texas Stadium anymore, but former Dallas Cowboys and NFL Super Bowl MVP Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith and Fullback turned Fox broadcaster Daryl “Moose” Johnston can still command royalty status in Dallas and it was never more apparent than on Saturday night, September 29th as dinner for 15 with the Cowboy greats at Del Frisco Double Eagle Steak House followed by an evening of No Limit Texas Hold-em fetched a whopping $100,000 at the 34th Annual Dallas Cattle Baron’s Ball held at the famed Southfork Ranch in Parker, Texas just north of Dallas.

Several thousand of Dallas most prominent citizens and business leaders gathered wearing their finest alligator boots and Stetson hats at the former J.R. Ewing TV ranch to raise money to fight cancer and party hard. Super Model and Omega Watch Company spokesperson Cindy Crawford joined Auctioneer Mike Jones, President of United Country Auction Services, on the Bank of America Live Auction Stage to help energize the bidding on a 50th Anniversary Omega Speedmaster watch which included a personal tour of the Johnson Space Center given by General Tom Stafford, commander of the Apollo 10 and Apollo-Soyuz missions. Final bid $17,000.

This year’s event was headlined by the 2007 Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year Brad Paisley and supported by the loud and raucous sounds of part country duo-part circus act Big & Rich which features Dallas area native Country Rapper-Cowboy Troy. Country heart throb Paisley donated an on-stage serenade to the Live Auction that raised an additional $12,000 to the evenings cause.

Other highlights of the Live Auction included a 2008 Mercedes-Benz CL63, $140,000, Monaco trip $39,500, Celebrity Chef’s Napa wine package via private jet $60,000, Masters Golf trip, $35,000, autographed Brad Paisley hat and Big & Rich guitar, $8000 and a pair of Berretta 687 EELL Gallery Shotguns with Argentine hunt for $33,500. Lucky bidders also purchased over $100,000 in fine jewels from the likes of Harry Winston, Sue Gragg, Bova Diamonds, Noble Boutique, Gregg Ruth and Bachendorf’s.

This year’s event Chairman, Dallas attorney Gina Betts remarked, “This was our biggest and best year ever with the Live and Silent Auctions grossing over $2.1 million.” Adding,“Mike Jones our Auctioneer and his entire team were amazing as always!” All in all, the event grossed over $5.5 million. The event is the world’s largest fundraiser for the American Cancer Society with over $31 million being distributed to cancer research projects in Dallas County alone.

Mike Jones and Cindy Crawford

Auctioneer Mike Jones, CAI, GPPA, President, United Country Auction Services returned for his sixth year to conduct the “Live Auction”.