LISBON, Ohio – A National Weather Service announcement Aug. 1 kicked off Columbiana County Fair week: “A heat advisory is in effect, and heat indices will be approximately 100 degrees, as temperatures in the low to mid-90s combine with high humidity.”
“Stay out of the sun.”
During fair week?
Fair attendance. Although exhibitors and fair visitors did everything they could to stay cool, the intense heat did squelch fair attendance.
Overall paid fair attendance was 35,290, down 1,300 from last year, according to fair board treasurer Tom Rudebock.
“And you can blame probably 90 percent of that drop on the heat or the rain,” Rudebock said, referring to Thursday’s late afternoon and evening downpours.
This year’s fair drew 451 total open class exhibitors, and there were a total of 2,418 entries in all competitions, he added.
Junior fair. In the junior fair market livestock competitions, 395 lots crossed the auction block during the fair’s new two-day sale format. The steer, dairy beef feeder and cheese sales remained on Thursday night of fair week, but the traditional Wednesday and Friday night sales moved to a single sale on Saturday, starting at 3 p.m.
The sales totaled $279,085.29, down roughly $12,000 from 2005’s final tally.
Steer sale. Alex Cope of Alliance followed sister Samantha’s 2005 footsteps, showing the 2006 grand champion market steer.
Bidding stalled at $3 a pound, as the rain’s staccato pounding on the metal roof kept pace with auctioneer Ken Baer’s chant. But Baer persisted, and H.P. Nemenz Food Stores/Sav-A-Lot Stores was the final bidder on the 1,265-pound steer, at $3.50 a pound, up 50 cents from Nemenz’s bid last year.
In his final year in 4-H, Sam Baer raised the reserve champion market steer, weighing 1,210 pounds. Paris-Washington Twp. Insurance paid $3.35 a pound for the champion, also up from last year’s bid of $2.85 a pound.
In the project competition, which combines live animal, showmanship and skillathon placings, Hillary Hoppel won the grand champion trophy. Stark Aeration & Supply paid $2.20 a pound for her 1,290-pound steer.
Ben Steiner, who was the senior skillathon winner, won the reserve champion project honor. D&V Trucking paid $1.25 a pound for his 1,390-pound Hereford.
Other skillathon winners were: Haley Drake, intermediate; and Zarah Strong, junior. Showmanship winners include Chad Raber, senior and showman of showmen; Kelsey Baker, intermediate; and Kayleigh Miller, junior.
Carter Hill won the steer rate-of-gain trophy and Katie Carpenter won the Nick Skrinjar Memorial Hereford award.
The 83 steers averaged $1.27 a pound, includ ing champions; $1.22, without.
Dairy feeders. Twins Jeff and John Karlen battled in the winners’ circle during the dairy beef feeder show.
Jeff’s 600-pound calf grabbed the grand champion trophy and John had to settle for reserve champion with his 610-pound feeder.
Damascus Livestock Auction paid $1.30 a pound for the grand champion and Carrollton Livestock Auction paid $1.20 for the reserve.
The 95 calves averaged $1.10 a pound, including the champions; $1.097 a pound, without champions.
Showmanship winners included John Karlen, showman of showmen; Jessica Smallwood, intermediate; and Kenny smith, junior.
Prior to the start of the dairy feeder sale, a special hunting package created by the Circle 62 4-H club was sold to benefit the county 4-H program. The package was a memorial tribute to Josh Bardo, a former 4-H and FFA exhibitor of dairy cattle and dairy beef feeders, who died July 1. MAC Trailer Manufacturing set a determined bidding pace to win the package at $2,500.
Cheese sale. Hagan Whiteleather’s Holstein topped the cheese yield contest to claim the grand champion trophy. Esther Whiteleather, national sales director for Mary Kay Cosmetics, paid $1,300 for the basket.
Sanor Custom Combining and Fred Pack Silage Bagging teamed up to buy Adam Crist’s reserve champion basket for $1,250.
The remaining 21 baskets averaged $611.67.
Market hogs. Watching the market hog show, Eric McElroy of East Palestine thought it just couldn’t get any better when his daughter, Bryn, won grand champion honors with a homebred and raised pig. But then the judge tapped Tyler Hall’s entry, another feeder pig from the McElroy herd, as the reserve champion.
Bryn McElroy’s 255-pound hog topped the 106-head swine show to win the grand champion trophy. Vittle Village and Leetonia IGA paid $8 a pound for the hog, a hefty jump from last year’s bid of $3.75.
D&V Trucking paid $5 a pound for Tyler Hall’s 272-pound reserve champion. The bid was also up from last year’s $3.50.
Kristen Corey raised the grand champion carcass hog, which sold for $4.25 a pound to West Point Paving. Nathan Jones’ reserve champion carcass hog sold for $4 a pound to Pinky’s Lounge and Family Restaurant.
Kelsey Baker won champion project honors and Lazy H Farm and Fence Company paid $1.75 a pound for her 233-pound hog. Randy Hart of New York Life Insurance paid $2 a pound for Caitlin Wiley’s reserve champion project hog.
Swine showmanship honors went to: Natalie Saling, showman of showmen; Chad Raber, senior showmanship; Ben Steiner, intermediate; and Audra Antram, novice.
The 110 hog lots averaged $1.95 a pound including champions; $1.82, without.
Lambs. Amy Cunningham won grand champion market lamb honors with her 129-pound entry. Ruth Whiteleather-Orrell, Mary Kay Cosmetics, paid $8 a pound for the champion.
Paris-Washington Insurance continued its multi-county string of sale buys with the final bid of $5.75 a pound for Zachary Birkhimer’s 117-pound reserve champion lamb.
Ameritas Investments paid $2 a pound for Nathan Birkhimer’s grand champion carcass lamb, and Rudibaugh Feed paid $1.70 a pound for Sarah Stewart’s reserve champion carcass lamb.
Jacob Barrick, the intermediate showmanship winner, claimed the best lamb project honor. Virginia and Charles Pickens paid $1.95 a pound for his 125-pound lamb.
Nathan Birkhimer, the intermediate skillathon winner, returned to the ring with the reserve champion project lamb. Salem Giant Eagle paid $1.50 a pound for the 122-pound lamb.
Other sheep winners included: Allison Parks, rate of gain; Carl Barrick, senior showmanship and showman of showmen; Joshua Steer, junior showmanship; Ashton Unger, senior skillathon; Bethany Basich, junior skillathon.
The 37 lamb lots averaged $1.71 a pound, including champions; $1.398, without.
Goats. Zachary Birkhimer continued his winning fair week, with the grand champion market goat. Lazy H Farm and Fence Company paid $5 a pound for the 92-pound champion.
Nathan Birkhimer raised the reserve champion goat, weighing 102 pounds. Jenkins Feed & Supply paid $2.50 a pound for the entry.
The seven remaining goats averaged $2.33 a pound, helped by a top bid of $5.50 a pound for Julia Converse’s market goat.
Small animals. At Saturday’s small animal sale, Steven Cable sold his grand champion pen of rabbits, including the grand champion fryer, for $450 to Don and Margaret Burton.
Heather Baker’s reserve champion pen of rabbits sold for $330 to Ross Farms Western Apparel.
The nine pens averaged $206, including champions; $154, without.
Case Farms kept the bidding going on the grand champion pen of chickens, finally paying $600 for the pen raised by Tristin Solomon. William Paynter’s reserve champion pen sold for $255 to Rogers Community Auction.
The 29 pens averaged $185.17 with the champions; $167.22, without champions.
Auctioneers and ringmen donating their services included Baer Auctioneers’ Ken Baer, Bill Baer, Wade Baer and Mark Harding; and Kiko Auctioneers’ Rusty Kiko, Randall Kiko, Rudy Kiko and Ralph Halter.
(Farm and Dairy Editor Susan Crowell can be reached at 800-837-3419 or at editor@farmanddairy.com.)
Get 4 Weeks of Farm and Dairy Home Delivered
