I couldn't have said it better myself, msscamp. :clap: :clap: :clap:
As for weaning age, I am of the opinion that nothing is better for a calf than milk. It is not unusual for our show calves to be on mamma right up to 9 or 10 months old, unless of course we want to show them that early (or drought conditions are taking a toll on the cow etc). In my experience this gives them the best start in life.
As for the original question, I have only ever fed out one steer that was weaned early, he was orphaned and so began eating hard feed at 2 months. He ended up being Grand Champion. I'm not saying this is a typical case, though. I would think the best thing to do would be look at the calf, if she looks healthy, is growing well and fits your selection criteria, then go for it.