New buyers snag three champions

CARROLLTON – While the Carrollton Farmers Exchange remained the largest buyer at the Carroll County Fair Junior Livestock Sale this year, there was a new buyer in town exhibiting support to his new hometown by joining with a partner to lay out $67,000.
Chuck LaBlanc, who bought the Petersburg Marina last October, came with his partner Greg Turner, ready to bid.
LaBlanc said he thought it was a good way for him to show support to the community that he now calls home, and to let people know that he and his wife, Becky, are there to stay.
The Turners, owners of Turner Jewelers in Hartville, have a cabin on Leesville Lake and have been buying at the Carroll County Fair for several years. But not on the same scale.
Mary Jo Turner said she and her husband are partners with the LaBlancs in the marina, and are considering opening a jewelry store in Carrollton.
But it was LaBlanc who was the instigator of the partners’ ready bidding.
Together, the two couples purchased the grand champion carcass lamb, the grand champion market steer, the grand champion market hog, plus another steer and another hog.
LaBlanc also was bidding on the grand champion market lamb, but stopped at $12.50, one bid short of the selling price of $13 a pound.
This year’s junior livestock sale netted a total of $108,158.28, down about $12,000 from last year’s total.
The total for the June 21 large animal sale, the largest of the three sales held over a three-day period, was $96,077.68
Record lamb prices. Auctioneer Daryl Gartrell, who is a former Carroll County 4-H adviser, coaxed record bids for the grand and reserve champion lambs out of the crowd.
While the price for champion lambs at the Carroll County sale had formerly hovered in the $7 range, when Gartrell brought it up to $11, he stopped and announced that “that’s the end of the first heat.”
He coaxed the audience by telling them he had sold lambs that were of no better quality in another county for twice the price and more.
Stacey Johnson, who moved up from reserve champion last year to the grand champion market lamb this year, finally got $13 a pound for her 115-pound market lamb. It was purchased by Carrollton Ponderosa.
Last year’s grand champion, Bethany Frew, showed the reserve champion lamb this year. It also set a new record when the 115-pound lamb sold for $12 a pound to Thorne’s IGA.
The 66-pound grand champion carcass lamb raised by Janette Jurkiewicz sold to Turner Jewelers and Petersburg Marina for $8 a pound, up $5 over last year’s price. The 62-pound reserve champion lamb carcass shown by Darcy Davis sold to Kiko Meats of Minerva for $3 a pound.
The 27 market lambs and carcasses sold for a total of $10,506.20, averaging $3.48 a pound with champions and $2.52 without.
Steer classes. The 1,249-pound market steer, raised by Ryan Pape, sold for $2.90 a pound to Turner Jewelers and Petersburg Marina. Aislinn Brinker sold her 1,162-pound reserve champion market steer to Carrollton Farmer’s Exchange for $1.70 a pound.
Lori Van Meter sold her 776-pound grand champion steer carcass for $2.10 a pound to Shamrock Vale Farms. Her 770-pound reserve champion steer carcass sold to the Minerva Veterinary Clinic for $2.25 a pound.
There were 28 market and carcass steers sold for a total of $39,349.50, averaging $1.24 a pound with champions and $1.07 a pound without.
Hog classes. Wes Frew, who had the reserve champion hog last year, sold his 260-pound grand champion market hog to Turner Jewelers and Petersburg Marina for $5 a pound.
The 228-pound reserve champion market hog, raised by Stacey Johnson, sold to Thorne’s IGA for $6.50 a pound, the same price Thorne’s paid for last year’s grand champion.
Kishman’s IGA in Minerva bought Johnna Mangun’s 182-pound grand champion hog carcass for $3.50 a pound. The 126-pound reserve champion carcass of Ryan Pate went to Dr. Mendal Haus for $4 a pound.
There were 98 market and carcass hogs sold for a total of $41,561.25, averaging $1.02 a pound with champions and 86 cents a pound without.
Dairy feeders. Both the grand and reserve champions were purchased by Carrollton Farmer’s Exchange for $1.50 a pound. The 510-pound grand champion was shown by Marissa Hawk; the 589-pound reserve champion by Dalton Morsheiser.
There were eight sold for a total of $4,660.73, averaging $1.02 a pound with champions and 86 cents a pound without.
Cheese sale. In the cheese sale July 19, all bids for each of the 16 lots sold were raised by $80 by the combined group of Hein Trucking, Reiter Dairy, United Dairy, and Gerber and Sons.
The total sale was $9,380, averaging $586 with champions and $601.42 without.
The grand champion basket, owned by Christina Friley, weighed 9.91 pounds. It was purchased by Ramsey Hoof Trimming for $500. Bryan Thompson had the 9.77-pound reserve champion basket. It sold for $300 to Dave Evans.
Small animal sale. On July 21, the small animal livestock sale brought $11,700.60, after Tri County Implements and S&S Equipment raised the prices on all the rabbits and market goats.
Then Carroll County Auditor Leroy VanHorn offered to provide a guaranteed price on all the sale animals, as he had done the day before on all large animals. VanHorn guaranteed each one a minimum price on their project.
The grand champion cage of rabbits sold, shown by Pricia Hanna, was purchased for $330 by U.S. Rep. Bob Ney. Ick Electric purchased Jessica Custer’s reserve champion cage for $300. There were a eight cages of rabbits sold for a total of $2,275, averaging $284.37 with champions and $274.16 without.
The grand champion cage of chickens was shown by Stacey Johnson and sold to Gary Teter for $300. He donated it to Image Home. The reserve champion cage, shown by Aaron DeWitt, was purchased for $255 by Park Farms.
The grand champion turkey was shown by Justin Moore. He sold it for $350 to Don’s Custom Meats. Curtis Moon had the reserve champion, which sold for $350 to John Villain.
There were 22 cages of chickens sold for a total of $2,615, averaging $195 with champions and $186.75 without; and six turkeys sold for a total of $2,615, averaging $162.45 with champions and $136,78 without.
Market goats. The grand champion market goat was raised by Randall Moore and sold for $4 a pound to Dr. John Walters. With additional add-ons, it brought $416. Amanda Moore sold her reserve champion goat for $3.50 a pound to Myers Tin Shop. With additional add-ons, it brought $329.
There were 12 goats sold for a total of $2,520.50, averaging $210.04 with champions and $177.55 without.
Auctioneers for the sale were Gartrell, Jaymee Gandee, and Bill Newell.