This story appears in the Jan. 28, 2019, issue of Sports Illustrated. For more great storytelling and in-depth analysis, subscribe to the magazine—and get up to 94% off the cover price. Click here for more.
Editor’s Note: This story contains descriptions from inside an animal slaughterhouse that some readers may find disturbing.
On a cold and snowy April morning in northwest Ohio, Tom Wagner prods a 1,200-pound steer with a four-foot-long wooden pole in a muddy holding pen. C’mon, you can do this.