Fair holds livestock sale over weekend

WAPAKONETA — The dollars raised tell the tale.

Area businesses came out to support 4-H participants at the Auglaize County Junior Fair livestock auction this year, which included both in-person and online sales.

In 2020, the auction was held online only.

“I think it’s a real good year,” said auction organizer Gerald Grevenkamp. “We did the online and the in-person sale. We did strictly online last year, and a lot of the buyers came to us and said they would like to do the online and in-person auction so we decided to go that route.”

He said they are still improving the online auction but plan on continuing with it.

Though he wasn’t sure of specific records being broken, Grevenkamp was pleased. “There was some really nice numbers out there,” Grevenkamp said. “The kids should be happy. I hope they appreciate the support that everybody gave him.

Tyler Egbert, who showed the

Grand Champion Steer, sold his champion for $5750. Egbert said he’ll keep the funds in savings and might put it towards a college fund.

Hannah Schaub’s Reserve Champion Steer also fetched a high price at $5,500.

Kyra Sutherland, who had the reserve champion carcass steer, said the show was especially tough this year.

“There were more steers than there ever has been in the show,” Sutherland said.

Perhaps the highest priced animal was Ryleigh Egbert’s, whose reserve champion Boer Goat sold for $6,875.

Braxten Method earned $2,000 for his champion boer goat.

Lilly Homan earned $1,525 for her grand champion rabbits, Ty Schaub earned $5,500 for his reserve champion rabbits.

Homan said she wasn’t expecting to do well with her rabbits.

“They kept on looking at my pen and I thought, maybe I am going to get fifth place and then when they said my name as grand champion I was so surprised,” Homan said.

Other non-champion animals also went through the ring.

Samuel Homan explained how he approaches the sale and getting buyers for his rabbits. It is his fifth year showing rabbits.

“It’s all about going out and writing letters, the more social you are the better chance you have of getting profit that year,” Homan said.