Records broken at junior fair livestock auction

Aug. 23—LIMA — There were three records broken this year during the second half of the Allen County Fair's 2024 junior fair livestock auction, including in the lamb and dairy beef sections.

Two records were broken in the lamb category. Lamb Grand Champion Keagan Jones' lamb sold for $8,000 which beat the lamb grand champion sale record of $6,500 in 2021. Jones was an Allen County reserve champion last year, and with this being only his second year showing lambs, he won lamb reserve grand champion at the Ohio State Fair Open Show, which the auctioneer said was one of the toughest sheep shows in the country. He also has been showing pigs since 10 or 12 years old. Jones is part of the Allen East FFA and his parents are Travis and Leslie Jones.

He said he loves showing animals and "it teaches me a lot about life lessons."

Born and Raised Lamb Champion Colin Augsburger beat the 2021 record of $4,200 with his lamb that sold for $5,150. He is part of the Auglaize Ag group and his parents are Ryan and Cathi Augsburger.

For the rest of the winners' circle in the lamb category, Reserve Champion Oksana Gossard's lamb sold for $4,500 and Born and Raised Reserve Champion Jackson Lee sold his lamb for $3,000.

Another record was broken in the dairy beef category by Dairy Beef Champion Claire Fledderjohann, 13, of the Blue Ribbon Bearcats. Her animal sold for $8,500, which beat the 2022 record of $7,650 in that category. She has been showing animals for five years and her parent is Ben Fledderjohann.

For the rest of the winners in the beef category, Beef Grand Champion Olivia Jones' animal sold for $8,000. She is part of Allen East FFA and her parents are Troy and Sara Jones. She also shows swine and has won in that category before as well.

She said she likes showing animals because "It's like my whole life. It's what I work for every summer. It's the way I decompress from life. It's something I do every day so it's something I can feel proud of myself for."

Her sister, Beef Reserve Champion and 2024 Fair Queen Delaney Jones, received $7,700 for her animal.

Born and Raised Beef Champion Ronan McCullough sold his animal for $7,500; Born and Raised Beef Reserve Champion Marshall Capps sold his for $6,000; and Dairy Beef Reserve Champion Avarie Hemker sold hers for $2,000.

For swines, Grand Champion Oksana Gossard sold her swine for $8,500. Swine Reserve Champion Ryker Winegardner, who is 9 years old in his first year showing animals, sold his swine for $7,000. Born and Raised Swine Champion Ava Gossard sold hers for $2,100, and Born and Raised Reserve Champion Peyton Hulsmeyer, in her first year in the winner's circle with her first litter of hogs, sold hers for $1,500.

Another notable swine sale went to Keegan Fetter, whose swine sold for $7,500.

In the goat category, Grand Champion Emerson Halker, experiencing his first time as a grand champion after 7 years of showing animals, sold a goat for $2,300. Reserve Champion Sheldyn Fetter's goat sold for $1,100; and Born and Raised Champion and 2024 Junior Fair Goat King Wyatt Buell and Born and Raised Reserve Champion Kacie Carroll both sold their goats for $500.

Additionally, a gallon of milk sold for $7,000, which was split between 14 people; llama/alpaca fiber was sold for $1,200, split between three people; and a gallon of goat milk sold for $1,000, split between nine people.

Reach Charlotte Caldwell at 567-242-0451.