Birney shows grand champions at final fair

CADIZ, Ohio – The 2001 Harrison County Fair junior market livestock sale brought an end to Billy Birney’s long winning history , but not before he captured grand champion market steer, beef show of showman, champion low intermediate weight steer, outstanding beef project knowledge award, grand champion market lamb, sheep show of showman, champion extra heavyweight lamb, outstanding sheep project knowledge award and the outstanding swine project knowledge award.

Birney has won many of these categories for several years now, but this was his final year. After auctioneer Darrell Gartrell told the buyers of what Birney has brought to the fair, Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort received a loud ovation for paying $6.60 a pound for Birney’s 1235-pound grand champion market steer. Their bid was up $1.60 from last year.

Bill Marks paid $2.75 for Becky Harrah’s reserve grand champion steer. Harrah also received an outstanding beef project knowledge award.

The average price for the 28 steers is $1.45 with champions and $1.20 without.

Lambs. The trio of Marshall County Co-op, WVA-Ohio Motor Sales and Kendle Farms paid $25 a pound for Birney’s grand champion market lamb. This price was a $18.50 jump from last year’s price.

Abby Fogle’s reserve grand champion market lamb received $5.50 a pound from Forest Land LTD. This bid was down just 25 cents from last year. The champion intermediate weight lamb weighed in at 113 pounds.

The average price paid for the 64 lambs is $2.57 with champions and $2.16 without.

Hogs. The grand champion market hog was shown by Kallie Telfer. The 265-pound hog brought $5 a pound from longtime buyers Coffy’s Bilo.

Jeremy Nitz’s 245-pound reserve grand champion market hog pulled in $3 a pound from Wood’s Food Center. This bid is up 75 cents from last year.

The 75 hogs brought an average of $1.71 a pound with champions and $1.64 without champions.

Feeder calves. Keith Eddy showed the one and only dairy veal calf. The grand champion brought $1.60 a pound from big buyers D&J Sales and Services. D&J are always huge supporters of the fair and bought many animals last Friday night. Eddy’s 2000 grand champion brought $2 a pound.

Kristina Cunningham’s 440-pound dairy feeder calf brought $1.25 from Ann’s Dairyland. This bid is up 25 cents from last year’s bid. Lucas Pulley had the reserve grand champion dairy feeder calf. Dave’s Meats paid 70 cents a pound, which is down 60 cents from last year.

The dairy feeders brought an average of $1.12 a pound.

Goats. Cyndi Cramblett showed the grand champion market goat. The 100-pound champion brought $300 from Excel Mining Systems. The bid is down $50 from last year.

Dana Pettit, who had the grand champion last year, received $175 for his 2001 reserve grand champion goat from Chrisman Electric. Last year’s reserve grand champion sold for $190.

The 29 goats sold for an average of $131 with champions and $123.39 without.

Rabbits. Market rabbit prices were up again this year. Belmont National Bank paid $425 for Derek Stromski’s pen of three market rabbits. Last year’s winner got $225.

Bethany Taggart, who had the grand champion pen last year, was the reserve grand champion this year. Randall Gallagher Memorials paid $300, up from $100 from last year, for the reserve pen.

The eight rabbit pens averaged $157.50 with champions and $93.33 without.

Poultry. Derek Stromski, who is no stranger to the winner’s circle, won grand champion for his pen of market chickens. Agland Co-op paid $425 for the pen, down $225 from last year. Park Farms, who donates the chickens to many area fairs, paid $375 for Veronica Yeske’s reserve grand champion pen of three broilers.

The eight pens brought an average of $198.75 with champions and $131.67 without.

Dillon Brogan got a whopping $800 for his grand champion market turkey from William’s Furniture. That price is up from last year’s bid of $525. Belmont National bank continued to support the youth by buying Autumn Bogg’s reserve grand champion turkey for $175, down $25 from last year.

The 15 turkeys brought an average of $181.33 with champions and $133.46 without.

Totals. The sale receipts for the 2001 Harrison County Fair junior livestock sale totaled $118,219.15, up from last year’s $92,033.70.

Royalty. This year’s fair royalty were king Jason Birney, fair queen Tonya Ferguson, princess Kassandra Wojchowski and prince Willy Cramblett.

Auctioneers volunteering their time were Darrell Gartrell, Bill Host, Dave Jones and Jason Miller. Dick Snyder, Gary Fogle and John Birney worked the ring.