RANDOLPH, Ohio – It was a banner day for junior exhibitors selling their market project animals at the Portage County Randolph junior fair market livestock auction Aug. 25.
Six price records were broken – one by only a nickel a pound, but that still equaled almost $50 more on the price of the 881-pound grand champion beef carcass.
On the other hand, the $11 a pound that Ted and Tami Mohan of Zanesville paid for Amanda Smith’s grand champion market lamb was a full $2 above the record, set in 1998.
“You’re buying a real lamb with paper money,” auctioneer John Kiko urged as he coaxed the price up when the round of lively bidding had settled down into a contest between two determined bidders.
Amanda stood in the middle of the ring with a look of amazement on her face, and wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye when the price reached $10 a pound.
The Mohans moved to Zanesville from Portage County last December and returned home to “their” fair to support the kids. They donated the lamb back to be resold for the 4-H scholarship fund.
Other records. The grand champion pen of chickens set a new record at $875, up from $800 set only last year. The grand champion carcass lamb record went from $7.25 to $7.50; the grand champion market goat from $450 to $600; and the grand champion carcass hog from $5.25 to $5.75.
The winning bidders of the carcass steer and the carcass hog, raised their own bids to make the final price a new record.
The sale total was $212,918, of which $6,572 was donated back to 4-H funds. It exceeded last year’s total by $21,432, and the 1999 total by $68,000.
Beef animals. A total of 65 steers and carcasses and three feeder calves sold for $112,826, averaging $1.30 with champions and $1.20 without.
Kody Hayes showed the 1,318-pound grand champion market steer, which sold for $2.50 a pound to Bishops Tractor Sales. The 1,280-pound reserve champion market steer, shown by Josiah Pirogowicz, sold for $1.90 a pound to Middlefield Banking Company.
Mason Kisamore sold his 881-pound grand champion beef carcass for $5.05 a pound to Oscar Brugmann Sand and Gravel. The 797-pound reserve champion beef carcass, shown by John May, was purchased by John and Cathy Zizka for $2.10 a pound.
Katy Shircliff had the project champion steer that was also the Angus breed champion. Other breed champions included the reserve Angus champion shown by Adam Jackson; dairy champion shown by March Armstrong and reserve dairy champion shown by Abby Luli; Simmental champion shown by Ashley Hargett and reserve Simmental champion shown by Nicole Miner; and the Hereford champion shown by Doug Kisamore and reserve Hereford champion shown by Adam Heppe.
Hogs. A total of 153 market hogs sold for $67,816.51, averaging $1.82 with champions and $1.69 without.
Shannon Gallager sold her 256-pound grand champion hog for $8 a pound to Bonnie Harner of Mantua. This is $1.50 a pound higher than last year’s grand champion price, but still not a record.
Gallager also had the reserve champion hog carcass, with a 150-pound dressed weight, which she sold for a record $7.70 a pound also to Bonnie Harner.
The 242-pound reserve champion hog, shown by Tierney Ruehr, was purchased by Jim Pruce, State Sen. Leigh Herrington, and Portage County Commissioner Chuck Keiper for $4.70 a pound.
Kody Hayes had the grand champion hog carcass, weighing 176 pounds dressed, which he sold at a record $5.75 a pound to Leppo Equipment.
Leah Allen was the swine project champion, scoring highest in rate of gain and in her skillathon scores.
Lambs. A total of 36 market and carcass lambs sold for $12,980.50, averaging $2.76 with champions and $2.19 without.
After Amanda Smith’s 126-pound grand champion sold for $11 a pound, the 142-pound reserve champion shown by Dan Ahrens, who had the grand champion lamb carcass last year, was purchased by Geako Management of Kent for $5.25 a pound.
Danielle Sweitzer sold her 112-pound lamb that won the grand champion carcass competition, determined by ultrasound, for $7.50 a pound to a group of four, represented by Brad and Sonja Poland of Minerva. The 107-pound reserve champion carcass lamb, shown by Gina Chiancone was purchased by Sen. Herrington and Commissioner Keiper for $5 a pound.
Market goats. Only two market goats were sold this year, with only a grand champion named. Total sales were $850. Shawn Wadsworth sold his 68-pound grand champion boar goat to CT Farm and Country in Ravenna for $600.
Small animal sale. In the small animal sale, five pens of three rabbits were sold $1,795, averaging $305 with champions and $183.33 without. A total of 41 turkeys sold for $7,050, averaging $164.63 with champions and $148.72 without. And 49 pens of three market chickens sold for $9,625, averaging $183.67 with champions and $162.23 without.
The Portage County Rabbit Breeders purchased both the champion and reserve champion rabbit pens. Alesha Wise sold her grand champion pen for $450, and Roberta Long sold her reserve champion pen for $500.
Lucas Allen sold his 25-pound grand champion turkey to CT Farm and Country for $525. The 23.75-pound reserve champion turkey, shown by Taylor Bailey, sold for $375 to Mantua Oil.
Ian Tomlinson repeated his capture of the grand champion pen of chickens title again this year. He sold the 26.5-pound pen to the Portage County Farm Bureau for a record $875, topping the $800 record price he received last year.
The reserve champion pen, weighing 27 pounds, was shown by Chase Watson, and sold for $500 to Quality Farm and Fleet of Streetsboro.
(You can contact Jackie Cummins at 1-800-837-3419, ext. 23, or by e-mail at jcummins@farmanddairy.com.)
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