MEDINA, Ohio – Medina County Fair visitors entering the fairgrounds through the west gate couldn’t help but relive the memory of the tragic steam-powered tractor explosion at last year’s fair that killed five people and injured more than 30 others.
But the west gate now features a living tribute to those who died in the accident in the form of a memorial garden near the explosion site. The perennial and annual garden includes granite benches and an inscribed granite marker.
The garden was dedicated at the start of this year’s fair, which ran July 28-Aug. 4, and as fairgoers entered the grounds during the week, many paused at the garden to pay tribute to the memory of those who died last year.
Livestock sale. The junior fair market livestock sale ran throughout the Saturday of fair week, starting at 9 a.m. with the rabbits and continuing with the swine sale that started around 6 p.m.
Eric Berthold grabbed three champion banners by showing the grand champion dairy beef, grand champion turkey and grand champion market hog.
His champion dairy steer, weighing 1,477 pounds, sold for $2.85 a pound to Medina-Lodi Inc.
And Medina-Lodi returned to the buyers’ circle with a bid of $3 a pound for Berthold’s grand champion hog.
The 1,608-pound reserve champion dairy steer, raised by Heather Standar, sold for 75 cents to Whitehead Meats. The 272-pound reserve champion hog, raised by Megan Indoe, sold for $2 a pound to Simmons Bros. Construction.
The grand champion hog carcass, raised by Nicholas Coffman, sold for $3.75 a pound to Markley Country Butcher Shop. The reserve champion carcass, raised by Jamie O’Neill, sold for $3.60 a pound to Matco Tool Co.
Steers. Kate Gulliford’s homebred and raised 1,315-pound grand champion steer sold for $4 a pound to Whitehead Meats. Elizabeth Marrone’s 1,360-pound reserve champion steer brought a bid of $2.25 a pound from Pennant Family Show Supplies.
The grand champion steer carcass, raised by Erin Smith, sold for $2.30 a pound to O’Connell Trucking. Gordon Erb’s reserve champion steer carcass sold for $2.50 a pound to B&B Quilt Shop.
Winners in the feeder calf divisions included: grand champion starter calf: Caitlin Disbrow; reserve, Matthew Garrison; grand champion light feeder, Kyle Gorgan; reserve, Kimberly Morlock; grand champion heavy feeder, Nicholas Coffman; reserve, Ashley Williams.
Lambs. Jared Boyert raised the grand champion market lamb at this year’s Medina County Fair. It brought $9 a pound from Pennant Family Show Supplies.
Matthew Sulzener’s reserve champion lamb sold for $3 a pound to Whitehead Meats, well off the $9 mark set at last year’s fair.
The record for the grand champion lamb, $20.25 a pound, was set in 2000.
Pam Homan raised the grand champion lamb carcass, which sold for $5 a pound to Spencer Feed & Supply. Tim Farnsworth’s reserve champion lamb carcass sold for $5 a pound to Dusek Farms.
Small animals, poultry. Eric Berthold’s grand champion turkey sold for $800 to Remington Farms and Lloyd Construction, well above last year’s top bid of $550 but still short of the record $1,200 set in 2000.
Realty One paid $600 for the reserve champion turkey raised by Tim Zacharias. The bid was also well above last year’s reserve champion price of $225.
Unfortunately, most of the other small animal champions realized bids below the 2001 marks.
Douglas Rea raised the grand champion pen of meat rabbits, which sold for $375 to State Rep. Charles Calvert. The price was $400 below last year’s bid. TLC Feedstuffs paid $300 for Kimberly Tekus’ reserve grand champion pen. Tekus was the 2001 grand champion exhibitor.
Christ Holstein’s duck entry topped the field of 29 ducks to win the grand champion banner. Sharon Ray paid $300 for the top duck. Last year’s winner sold for $850. Wolff Bros. Supply bought Daniel Sotak’s reserve champion duck for $250. Sotak had raised the grand champion last year.
Remington Farms paid $450 for the grand champion goose, raised by Stacy Uronis. The bid was also down from last year’s $625. Commissioner Tom Bahr paid $250 for the reserve champion goose, raised by Keri Pavlick, up from the $225 the commissioner paid last year.
Keri Pavlick sold her grand champion pen of meat chickens for $300 to Remington Farms, down slightly from last year’s $450 bid. Sandridge Food Co. paid $225 for Matthew Crowder’s reserve champion chickens.
Meat, dairy goats. In the meat goat division of the market goat sale, Stacey McClure sold her 74-pound grand champion for $5.50 a pound to Spencer Feed & Supply. Emily King’s reserve champion sold for $2.75 a pound to Capron Construction.
In the dairy division of the market goat sale, Louis Blaha’s 78-pound grand champion goat brought a bid of $5.50 from Spencer Feed & Supply. Alison Ungar’s reserve champion sold for $2.25 a pound to Lloyd Construction and Lloyd High Tensile Fence.
The sale included three baskets to benefit the junior fair dairy exhibitors, plus a special 4-H 100th anniversary basket that included an autographed Ohio State University football and a pair of tickets to the OSU-Kent State University game. The funds raised from the 4-H basket will be sent as a donation to help building the new Ohio 4-H Center on the Ohio State campus.
