Friday the 13th didn’t scare Harrison Co. showmen

CADIZ, Ohio – If superstitions about Friday the 13th bothered Harrison County 4-H’ers and FFA’ers, it didn’t show in the sale ring.
Although the overall total was a bit less than last year’s county fair livestock sale, enthusiasm from exhibitors and buyers ran as high as ever at the July 13 sale.
The sale brought in $142,331.41 this year, down from $147,189.09 in 2006.
Looking good. However, it was a good night for steer exhibitors, with many bids sailing past last year’s numbers.
Carly Birney remained at the top of the market steer show, taking home grand champion honors for the second year in a row. She also earned the reserve champion title in 2005, grand champion in 2004 and reserve champion in 2003.
This was her steer’s second trip to the fair, as Birney also showed it as a feeder calf in 2006. Calling the steer “a dandy,” auctioneer Darrell Gartrell sold the 1,304-pound champion to Straight A’s Supply and Birney Cattle Co. for $4.50 per pound. The price was up from the 2006 bid of $3.80 per pound.
Carly Birney also won intermediate market steer showmanship.
The reserve champion steer banner went to Corey Case. His 1,308-pound steer brought $3.50 per pound from Hopedale Mining. That bid was up from $1.85 per pound in 2006.
Case, who earned the top spot in senior market steer showmanship, also finished with the market steer showman of showmen title.
Austin Bleininger won junior market steer showmanship.
Taking home outstanding market steer project awards were: Bleininger, junior division; Tiffany Horn, intermediate division; and Janelle Valdinger, senior division.
The 27 steers at the sale averaged $1.49 per pound with champions and $1.27 without. Both averages were up from last year.
Lambs. Wayne Falb, auctioneer, sold 42 lambs during the livestock sale. Excel Mining bought Kaci Carter’s 134-pound grand champion lamb for $5.75 per pound. Carter also won the junior outstanding market lamb project award.
The 128-pound reserve champion lamb, raised by Hailey Brogan, brought $6 per pound from Willoughby and Co. CPAs.
Also winning outstanding market lamb project awards were: Victoria Dawson, senior division; and Sara Shuss, intermediate division.
Showmanship honors went to: Emma Cline, junior; Brooke Smith, intermediate; and Case, showman of showmen.
Lambs averaged $3.16 per pound with champions and $3 without, well above last year’s averages of $2.59 per pound with champions and $2.23 without.
Raising rabbits. In the rabbit sale, auctioneer George Cobb garnered a bid of $430 from Orme-East Do It Best Hardware for Kristen Wright’s pen of three grand champion rabbits. Kristen Wright was the intermediate market rabbit showman and the market rabbit showman of showmen.
Michael Wright raised the reserve champion pen of rabbits again this year, repeating his performance from 2006. The rabbits sold to Running Springs Farm for $350.
Annie Long took senior market rabbit showmanship honors and Carter won the junior showmanship division.
Earning outstanding market rabbit project awards were: Carter, junior division; Kristen Wright, intermediate; and Long, senior.
Twelve pens of rabbits averaged $175.83 with champions and $133 without. Averages were down about $50 from last year.
Feeder calves. Dairy beef feeder prices were similar to 2006 bids, with Tanner Bardall’s 586-pound grand champion bringing $1.38 per pound from D&J Sales and Service.
Shawn Pate went home with reserve champion dairy beef feeder honors for the fourth year in a row. With auctioneer Rhett Peters at the microphone, Pate’s 372-pound calf brought $1.25 per pound from Carrollton Livestock Auction.
Eight dairy beef feeders averaged $1.21 per pound with champions, up from last year’s 95 cents-per-pound average.
Zackery Jones earned the junior outstanding feeder calf project award with his heifer.
Twelve steer feeder calves also crossed the auction block, bringing an average of $1.20 per pound. Five heifer feeder calves averaged $1.22 per pound. The averages were about 30 cents under 2006 bids. The champions were not sold.
Poultry. During the poultry sale, auctioneer Steve Birney sold Austin Caswell’s grand champion pen of three chickens to Excel Mining for $350. Carter’s reserve champion pen went to Marsha Scott for $350.
In addition, Carter won junior market chicken showmanship and the junior outstanding market poultry award. Also receiving outstanding market poultry awards were Allison Knight in the intermediate division and Caswell in the senior division.
Janelle Valdinger won senior market chicken showmanship and the market chicken showman of showmen title.
The 15 pens of market chickens averaged $144.67 with champions and $113.08 without champions.
After raising the reserve champion turkey in 2006, John Smith moved up to the top spot this year. His grand champion bird brought a bid of $475 from Orme-East Do It Best Hardware. D&J Sales and Service bought Dylan Warner’s reserve champion entry for $325.
Warner also won intermediate market turkey showmanship and the intermediate outstanding market turkey project award.
Kristin Henline went home with several honors, including senior market turkey showmanship, market turkey showman of showmen and the senior outstanding market turkey project award.
Billy Fulton won the junior outstanding market turkey project award, while Kaitlin Ellzy took first place in junior showmanship.
The 17 turkeys averaged $161.18 per bird with champions and $129.33 without. Averages were down about $30 from last year.
Hog heaven. Hogs continued to be the fair’s most popular project, with 120 animals going through the auction ring. When auctioneer Darrell Watson’s gavel fell, it was Coffy’s BiLo with the winning bid of $6 per pound for Joelle Jones’ 256-pound grand champion hog. Excel Mining bought Kayla Valdinger’s 272-pound reserve champion hog for $4 per pound.
Earning showmanship honors were: Zackery Jones, junior division; Carly Birney, intermediate division and market hog showman of showmen; and Case, senior division.
Outstanding market hog project awards went to: Zackery Jones, junior; Kristen Wright, intermediate; and Tyler Horn, senior.
The hog sale averaged $1.47 per pound with champions and $1.40 per pound without champions. Those prices are about 18 cents per pound below the 2006 averages.
Goats. Goat were also a favorite with exhibitors this year, with auctioneer Billy Birney putting 45 through the ring. It was a big year for Cylene Smith, as the showman took home grand champion and reserve champion honors. Her grand champion entry went to Excel Mining for $550, while Jefferson Landmark bought the reserve champion animal for $350.
She also earned the senior outstanding market goat project award. Other outstanding project winners included Trevor Kendziorski in the intermediate division and Seth Keller in the junior division.
Showmanship honors went to: Keller, junior; Karley Mizer, intermediate; and Horn, senior and showman of showman.
The goats averaged $155.33 per animal with champions and $141.63 without. Prices were about $60 per animal below 2006.
The livestock sale also included 24 dairy baskets, which were auctioned off by Bill Host. The baskets brought an average of $418.26 each, up from last year’s average of $348.75. Hamilton Insurance bought Stephanie Valdinger’s top-selling basket at $700.
Representing the 161st Harrison County Fair were Alexandra Knight, fair queen; Nicklaus M. Gladman, fair king; and Ellzy, fair princess.
(Reporter Janelle Skrinjar welcomes feedback by phone at 800-837-3419, ext. 22, or by e-mail at jskrinjar@farmanddairy.com.)