NEW CASTLE, Pa. – There were at least five record bids set at this year’s Lawrence County Fair market livestock sale.
The grand and reserve champion lambs surpassed the marks they set just last year, and the reserve champion hog and grand and reserve champion lamb carcasses reached new highs. The overall sale total pushed higher this year, too, as the sale of 236 lots totaled $130,900.61, more than $8,000 higher than last year’s sale.
Buyers’ generosity included the donation of 11 animals to resell to benefit the Lawrence County 4-H program, totaling just over $5,000, and one to sell benefiting the junior livestock association. Another 11 animals were donated to the junior livestock association’s recognition barbecue Sept. 16 and four animals were donated to Cray Youth Services.
Love those lambs. Sarah Kingery was a lucky lady this year. Kingery, who raised the reserve champion lamb last year, raised both the grand and reserve champion lambs this year.
Buyers of both animals broke the $12/pound records set last year to set new marks of $18 a pound at this year’s sale. Wilson Lumber bought the grand champion, which weighed 114 pounds, and Rachel’s Roadhouse bought the 117-pound reserve champion.
Together, the lambs also earned Kingery the grand champion pen banner.
Christine Benninghoff’s reserve champion pen of lambs, with a total weight of 248 pounds, sold for $1.60 a pound to Pizzas by Marchelloni, well below the $5 a pound bid she received for her reserve champion pen last year.
Rachel Kenny’s grand champion lamb carcass sold for a record $3.75 a pound to Quality Farm & Country. Tractor Supply Company in Hermitage paid a record $5 a pound for Joy Hollencamp’s reserve champion lamb carcass.
The carcass classes began in 1999.
The 71 lambs averaged $2.46 a pound, including champions; $2.04 a pound, without champions.
Hogs. Custom Fab Trailer had the final bid of $3.85 a pound for Jeanne Peoples’ 253-pound grand champion hog, but owner John Altmeyer increased it anyway to $6 a pound.
And headed for the record books was the $10 a pound bid Austin Martin received for his 238-pound reserve champion hog. Teaming to buy the hog were Omega Inc. and Richard Martin Trucking.
Jim Thompson’s grand champion hog carcass sold for $3.60 a pound to Pizzas by Marchelloni. Stephanie McCready’s reserve champion hog carcass sold for $2.45 a pound to Sara Lee McCready.
The 99 hogs averaged $1.99 a pound with the champions; $1.87 a pound, without.
Steers. Mercer County youth Richard Henry dipped south of his home county’s border to show in the Lawrence County Fair market steer competition. His 1,303-pound Maine-Anjou cross topped the field of 48 steers to win grand champion honors.
Hoss’s Steak and Seafood House paid $2.60 a pound for the top steer.
Muddy Creek Barbecue gave a repeat performance as buyer of the reserve champion steer, a 1,248-pound Angus raised by Chelsey Kelly of Wampum. Kelly received $1.40 a pound for her steer.
Lee Ann Cook raised the grand champion steer carcass, which sold for $1.70 a pound to Tractor Supply Company. Faith Miller’s reserve champion steer carcass sold for $1.30 a pound to Pizzas by Marchelloni.
The steers averaged 85 cents a pound with the champions; 79 cents a pound, without champions.
Rabbits, goats. The rabbits couldn’t match the record pace they set at last year’s sale, where both the grand and reserve pens received $31 a pound from their buyers.
Amy Anderson’s grand champion pen of rabbits, with a total weight of 13 pounds, sold for $12 a pound to Dale and Mark Cunningham, auctioneers. Enon Valley Auction paid $10 a pound for Anthony Vanasco’s reserve champion pen of meat rabbits.
The four rabbit pens averaged $92.76 per pen, total, including the champions; $61.88 per pen, without champions.
Megan McDanel’s 95-pound Boer cross goat won the grand champion meat goat honors. Raven’s Glenn Farms and Matt Joseph paid $7.25 a pound for the grand champion.
Enon Valley Auction paid $2 a pound for Britney Stickle’s reserve champion meat goat.
The 12 goats averaged $2.14 a pound with the champions; $1.52 a pound, without champions.
Auctioneers donating their services to the sale were: Ruby McNichol, Lloyd and Don Braham, Duke Whiting and Mark Cunningham.
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