Hookstown Fair livestock sale falls short of record

HOOKSTOWN, Pa. – There was a mix of old and new blood in the winner’s circle at the Beaver County 4-H Stockman’s Club sale, and that brought new bidders to the sale arena at the Hookstown Fair Aug. 26.
Sale receipts totaled $105,443.55, down slightly from last year’s record $109,887.
Sister act. The Domitrovich sisters have been perennial winners in the lamb show, and they made no exceptions this year.
Eighteen-year-old Cheryl Domitrovich showed the 129-pound champion lamb, and younger sister Theresa showed the 128-pound reserve champion.
The champion won the heavyweight division, and Theresa’s reserve champion followed in the heavy class. The duo showed four of the top seven lambs in the fair show.
Cheryl Domitrovich, also the reigning Pennsylvania Lamb and Wool Princess, kicked off the 32nd annual sale with her Suffolk lamb.
Auctioneer Harry Anderson nearly dropped the gavel at $10.75 per pound when winning bidder Herron’s Cash and Carry Feed chimed in once more to up their bid.
The Herrons paid $11 per pound for Domitrovich’s champion, then turned around and donated the animal back for resale to benefit the club’s education fund. On resale, the lamb brought $258.
Younger sister Theresa earned $10.75 per pound from Unis Dental Associates.
Twenty-seven lambs sold for $12,040.50, averaging $3.49 per pound with champions and $2.83 per pound without, not including animals donated back for resale.
Cheryl Domitrovich also won lamb showmanship honors.
Changing pace. The Jackson family has been a powerhouse in the market hog competition for several years, but this year Eric Jackson took champion steer honors instead.
Bidding for his 1,244-pound grand champion and champion all-other-breeds was stuck on go at $1 a pound while several potential buyers penciled out their bids.
Bidding took off and eventually landed on $2.55 per pound, down considerably from last year’s $4.10 per pound bid. Hoss’ Family Steak and Sea House was the buyer.
Grant McCabe’s 1,235-pound steer – the reserve champion all-other-breeds – brought $2.45 per pound from attorney Paul Walsh and Michael Coyne of Michael’s Hair Loft.
Caitlyn Domitrovich’s champion Angus steer, which sold sixth in the sale, brought $3.40 per pound, the highest bid for any steer through the auction that night.
Thirty-seven steers brought $67,148.30, averaging $1.48 per pound with champions and $1.42 without.
Breed champions were shown by Caitlyn Domitrovich, champion Angus; Kristina McLaughlin, champion Hereford; and Evan Reed, champion Shorthorn.
Eric Jackson also won steer showmanship honors.
New winners. New winner Krasimir Kaercher took the market hog competition with his 249-pound Duroc cross. Kaercher’s hog was also champion mediumweight.
Bidding started strong, climbing by quarters until auctioneer Harry Anderson hit the $4 mark. Bidders lost steam and climbed by dimes toward the high bid of $4.35 from Russell Reed Contracting.
Also a newcomer to the champion’s circle, Austin Boone showed the 246-pound reserve champion. The hog was also named reserve champion mediumweight.
Boone’s crossbred brought $4.45 per pound from Fritsch Farm Supply.
The 48 hogs averaged $2.08 per pound with champions and $1.98 without. Hog sale total was $26,254.75.
Caitlyn Domitrovich also won hog showmanship honors.
Resales. Three hogs and seven lambs were donated back for resale to benefit the club’s scholarship fund, adding $2,300.25 to the kitty.
(Reporter Andrea Myers welcomes reader feedback by phone at 1-800-837-3419, ext. 22, or by e-mail at amyers@farmanddairy.com.)