A steady stream of 4-H livestock crossed the sale arena Wednesday, making their owners’ college funds — and sometimes their hearts — a little heavier.
The sale, held in the show arena of the Lyon County Fairgrounds, featured animals of all sorts — sheep, goats, cattle, rabbits, poultry and swine.
Dressed in jeans and a sleeveless plaid shirt, with her blond hair pulled into braided pigtails on each side, Hanna Wecker, 7, of Olpe looked as if she’d stepped off the pages of a feed store calendar and into the sale arena.
She braced her feet wide in the sand to hold her class champion crossbred sheep steady for potential buyers to see. The sheep easily outweighed Hanna, and was only the first of several animals she would lead into the arena. Hanna had the sheep, a goat, two pigs and a steer for her entries in this year’s fair.
When auctioneer Kerry Macy brought down his gavel on the final premium bid of $300, she stoically led the sheep from the arena and out to the holding pen, where others already were being readied to ship to a meat-processing plant.
The youngsters can choose whether they take the animals home again, sell them at the auction or sell them for a base price established before the auction. The overwhelming majority decide to sell, or the decision is made for them by parents.
Bidding during the auction is for premium money — bonuses for the youngsters, added on by area businessmen and individuals in support of the 4-Hers.
Emily Samuels had dusted her meat goat with colorful sparkles before the pair went into the arena. They walked out with an extra $650 in premium money from Olpe State Bank’s winning bid.
Kevin Veatch was wishing all of the animals could go through the sale ring. Instead, the youngsters are limited to selling one animal per species in the premium sale. Any others are sold strictly for a base price, the “floor price.”
“That’s kind of bad, ’cause then you don’t get your premium money,” he said.
Tow-headed John Fritts planned to take his 4-month-old goat home. He’d had fun playing with her during the weeks before the fair.
“It used to pull me all over the place,” he said.
Lakota Preisner, 11, decided to sell the pen of meat rabbits she’d bought shortly before the fair. She was relieved to have missed developing a longer-term relationship with the rabbits.
“I won’t be crying up there like last year because I’m not attached to them,” she said.
Learning how to part with animals that become like pets has become a part of the total experience of raising animals for human consumption.
“We talk to the kids a lot,” said Penny Smith, mother of two Model Boosters members, with a third coming into the program next year.
“It’s just a part of life. These kids experience that. It’s hard, but it’s just a part of life.”
Elliott Smith, 11, has adjusted well to the lesson. Elliott showed the grand champion sheep and had two steers and geology projects as well.
His geology exhibit qualified to be taken to the State Fair in Hutchinson. He sold the sheep, “22” and his 1,360-pound Simmental “Cowboy” at the premium auction. He planned to take “Junior,” a crossbreed steer, home.
Was that because Junior was his favorite?
“No,” Elliott said. “We’re gonna eat him.”
All of the animals were shipped to Tyson Meats or to processors in Olpe and Allen and automatically will be entered in the carcass contest. Judging for that competition should be completed by the end of the week, according to Fair Board Secretary Shelia Price.
“Probably somebody from K-State will come down and judge the carcasses,” she said.
During the auction, the annual Lee Family award for leadership, willingness to help, and acting as a good role model for younger 4-Hers was given to Jacob Miller of Olpe.
Here are the names of owners, their 4-H clubs, prices and buyers for the champions:
Swine
Grand champion, Kiley Stinson, Frost Club, $675, Bruff’s; reserve grand champion, Samantha Leeds, Reading, $550, Rock River; class champion Yorkshire, Nathan Stinson, Frost, $475, Fuller Farms; class champion crossbred, Lane Fuller, Cloverleaf, $550, Schaffer Equipment; reserve class champion Duroc, Dagan Morris, Cloverleaf, $400, Nutrena Feeds; reserve class champion Hampshire, Hanna Wecker, Happy Harvesters, $400, Bluestem Farm & Ranch; reserve class champion crossbreed, Kiara Hartif, Model Boosters, $325, Emporia Truck Wash; purple, Blair Meyer, Cloverleaf, $300, Rock River.
Rabbit
Grand champion, Krisanne Karr, Sunflower, $400, Jerry Karr; reserve grand champion, Lakota Preisner, Sunflower, $300, Golden Plains.
Poultry
Class champion meat pen, Kimberly Smith, Cloverleaf, $175, Heins Family; reserve class champion meat pen, Mattie Decker, Cloverleaf, $175, Rock River; Purple, Travis Brummett, Rinker, F & F Feeds.
Beef
Grand champion steer, Kiley Stinson, Frost, $1,025, Rock River; reserve champion steer, Drew Pettijohn, Happy Harvesters, $750, Rock River; grand champion market heifer, Kaitlin Houck, Sunflower, $775, Stephen Haught; class champion Angus, Tyler Ross, Model Boosters, $600, Emporia Motors; class champion crossbreed, Elliott Smith, Model Boosters, $550, Kansas Continental Express; reserve class champion Angus, Brittney Houck, Sunflower, $700, Murphy Agra; reserve class champion shorthorn, Jason Klumpe, Busy Beavers, $700, Longbine Auto Plaza; purple, Tucker Lee, Rinker, $500, Rock River.
Meat goat
Grand champion, Emily Samuels, Happy Harvesters, $650, Olpe State Bank; reserve grand champion, Nikole Cain, Riverside, $225, Stinson Club Lamb; purple, Shane Bitler, Riverside, $275, Bill and Cindy Leffler.
Sheep
Grand champion, Elliott Smith, Model Boosters, $550, John North Ford; champion crossbred, Hanna Wecker, Happy Harvesters, $300, Mike and Cindy Klumpe; reserve champion Hampshire, Kiley Stinson, Frost, $250, Rock River; reserve champion crossbred, August Stueve, Happy Harvesters, $325, Emporia Veterinary Hospital.
Additional auction results will be published later.