MOUNT VERNON — Veteran auctioneer Red Shaw presided over Thursday’s Sale of Champions at the Knox County Fair, and he began the event by thanking all prospective bidders for their support of the young people of Knox County. He also praised the youngsters for their character and dedication to agriculture.
“They know how to work hard,” he said. “They know how to take responsibility, and spent long hours raising and caring for the animals we will sell today.”
The dairy product basket was the first item up for sale. Robin Alden’s Supreme Champion Dairy Cow was in the ring to represent the species, and Dairy Princess Alisha McDonald displayed the dairy product basket.
John Thatcher, in cooperation with the law firm Zelkowitz, Barry and Cullers, purchased the basket for $1,350. Proceeds from the sale will be divided among all dairy exhibitors, whose animals are not sold during the sale; they are returned to the farm and will continue to be milked. Exhibitors include Robin Alden, Daniel Alden, David Alden, Russell Alden, Stacy Jones, Alex Kempen, Andrew Kempen, Taylor Lavan, Abby Love, Alisha McDonald, Aubrey Pipes, Shelby Pipes, Brendan Urban and Sierra Wilson.
Luke Freeman said he will be a little sad to see his Grand Champion Dairy Market Feeder go, but was happy with the price the animal brought at the sale — $2 a pound. Freeman said this is the first time he has had an animal in the champion sale, and plans to use the $1,130 to help pay for college.
He has decided against a career in agriculture, though. He will enter Ashland College in the fall and plans to become an athletic trainer. The Kroger Co. purchased his animal and turned it in for resale.
Mount Vernon’s Amanda Burke, in her sixth year of competition at the fair, said she was hoping she would do well, and ended up doing so when her Reserve Champion Dairy Market Feeder was sold to TD Landscaping for $1.75 per pound. She said she plans on tucking the money from the sale into a savings account.
The largest animal seen during the sale was the Grand Champion Market Dairy Steer, shown by Matt Proper. The dairy steer was purchased for $1.50 per pound by Small’s Sand and Gravel of Gambier.
“I thought he sold pretty well,” Proper said, adding, “I don’t really want to let him go, but that’s how it goes.”
“I thought things went good,” said Ashley Burke, who sold her Reserve Champion Market Dairy Steer to Angel Maners and Bryce Maners of Ohio Rental Co. The steer weighs 1,486 pounds and was bought at $1.25 per pound.
Burke said this is not her first time selling dairy steers, and she hopes to continue next year. Although she is not sure what she will ultimately do with the money, Burke does know that it will be put in her savings account for later use.
