SMITHFIELD, Ohio – Afternoon rain showers cooled off Friendship Park, but the DeFrank, Newburn and Piergallini families stayed hot as they continued their winning ways at this year’s Jefferson County Fair.
For her third straight year, Kassie Piergallini dominated the top spot in the grand champion market lamb category.
This time around, she sold her 118-pound champion for $6 a pound to Marty Kull of Kull Packing. The price was up a dollar from bids the previous two years.
The reserve champion, raised by Melissa Basich, weighed in at 112 pounds and sold for $4.50 a pound to Mr. Key Locksmith Service in Wintersville. The price topped last year’s highest bid by $2.
Basich was also honored as grand champion exhibitor in both the sheep and swine project areas. The award is based on points accumulated from the youth’s placing in showmanship, skillathon and market class.
But it was Kylie DeFrank who took top market honors in the hog competition. Her 247-pound champion sold for $3.50 a pound to McConnell’s Meat Market in Richmond.
Becky Fabian’s reserve champion weighed in at 250 pounds and sold for $3 a pound to Car Medic in Wintersville.
The 161 hogs sold at an average of $337.32 with champions and $333.13 without.
Twenty-seven lambs sold for an average of $275.13 with champions and $254.75 without.
Family tradition. DeFrank returned to the sale ring with this year’s grand champion market steer. Her brother, John, held the top two spots last year and the reserve placing in 2000.
Kylie DeFrank’s 1,300-pound champion brought $6 a pound from Mountaineer Race Track in Chester, W.Va.
Hoping to come back and repeat her 2000 grand champion win, Amanda Rinkes had to settle for the reserve champion placing in her last 4-H project year.
Her 1,299-pound steer sold for $3.20 a pound to Biggio Ford Lincoln Mercury.
In the county’s home-bred competition, Paden Wood took top honors and Cody McCoy placed second. Corey Piergallini won the rate-of-gain contest. Outstanding beef exhibitor honors went to Jeff Wood.
Forty-eight steers sold for an average of $1,616.89 with champions and $1,549.52 without.
Back and forth. Like a bouncing ball, Brian Newburn has alternated between the top two spots in the dairy beef feeder contest since 1999.
This year, it was again his turn at halter of the grand champion feeder.
His 520-pound champion sold to Barnesville Livestock Auction for $1.25 a pound.
Justin Newburn’s 500-pound reserve champion brought $1 a pound from the Steubenville Wal-Mart.
In the feeder steer and heifer classes, the Wood family – Paden, Dalton, James and Jeff – has dominated for the past three years.
Paden Wood took champion honors in both classes this time and opted not to sell his projects. Instead, he received $50 savings bonds from the Tri-County Feeder Calf Association.
Small animals. In the small animal sale, Justin Dodds’ 103-pound grand champion market goat brought $250 from Dino Piergallini.
Jordan Dodds raised the 96-pound reserve champion, which sold for $175 to Dave’s Meats.
Both animals were Boer-Alpine crosses. Outstanding goat exhibitor honors went to Erin Nelson.
Goat sales averaged $188.13 with champions and $150 without.
The grand champion market goose was raised by Tyler Grafton and sold for $200 to Cain Realty.
Grand champion duck project winner Samantha Mazur sold her champions for $225 to Tractor Supply Company.
Reserve champion winner Melissa Mazur sold her project for $175 to R. Davis and Son from Richmond.
The grand champion pen of three market chickens died before the sale. The reserve pen, owned by Preston DeHamer, sold for $260 to Wendy’s Restaurants.
The grand champion turkey, owned by Eileen Polsinelli, sold for $325 to M&M Hardware in Steubenville. The reserve champion bird, owned by Kylee DeHamer, sold for $400 to Lamont and Esther McCoy.
The grand champion fryer meat rabbits, raised by Kenna Taylor, sold for $375 to M&M Hardware. Vicki McConnell’s reserve champion pen sold for $300 to Sky Bank.
Outstanding exhibitor honors went to Teddi Banel, poultry; Beth Zeinak, rabbit; Jeff Moorman, dairy; Kaitlin Wenger, horse; and Megan Lecik, dogs.
The overall sale total was $146,722, up from last year’s $135,043.
Auctioneers were William and Ken Baer, Brad Cain, Jayme Gandee, Darrell Gartrell, Mark Harding, and Rick Sponhaltz.
(You can contact Andrea Myers at 1-800-837-3419, ext. 22, or by e-mail at amyers@farmanddairy.com.)
