Steer record obliterated
The Grand Champion Steer, shown by Camdyn Burns at the 2021 Union County Fair, beat the 2003 livestock sale record, selling for $40,000 to a large conglomerate of businesses. Pictured above, in the back row from left, are Rick Crago of Leon’s Garage and Honda Marysville, Kevin Arnold of The Strait & Lamp Group, Peyton Green of Green and Sons Farm and Lawn Equipment, Kyle Feucht of Richwood Bank, Joe Chapman of Chapman Ford, Bart Zimmerman of Honda Marysville, Greg Gerten of Gerten Farms, Darrison Cook of CCFS, Heather Holland of Holland Cattle Company, Marc Marshall of Green and Sons Farm and Lawn Equipment, and Jim Holland of Holland Cattle Company, Jason Goodwin of Goodwin Services, Jason Green of Applied Electric, Justin Holland of Holland Cattle Company and Curtis Burns of Burns Cattle Company, and, in the middle from left, are Union County Fair Queen Isabella Roush and King Matthew McMillen, Chuck Shanklin of Shanklin Enterprises, Sam and Teressa Jackson of Sam Jackson’s Auto Body, Erica Goodwin of Goodwin Services, and in the front from left, Corbin Burns, McClain Burns, exhibitor Burns and Megan Burns of Burns Cattle Company. Also putting money for the purchase but not represented in the photo was Alloy Employs. (Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson)
Bids soar; more than a dozen records fall; grand champion steer sells for $40,000
More than a dozen records, including the one for overall bidding at the fair, fell at Saturday’s Union County Junior Fair Livestock Sale.
“It was a record setting sale for sure,” said Cody Johnston, with Richwood Banking Company, which clerks the sale.
Johnston said buyers spent $559,603 at the fair. He said that is not the final total because there are still “a lot” of boosts to be added to the total.
He said last year the sale raised $454,721, which was a record at the time.
“We have been setting records pretty much every year, but not like this,” Johnston said.
A total of 300 participants sold animals at this year’s fair, up from 297 last year.
“We have had so much community support, I can’t say it enough,” said Michelle Kuhlwein with the Union County Fair Board.
Records were set for the sale of:
– Grand champion market steer shown by Camdyn Burns for $40,000. The previous record was $26,050, set in 2003.
– Reserve champion market steer shown by Sienna Hutchins for $11,000. The previous record was $10,000, set in 2018.
– Grand champion meat chickens shown by Megan Vollrath for $6,000. The previous record was $2,700, set in 2017.
– Reserve champion meat chickens shown by Lauren Hall for $2,500. The previous record was $2,400, set in 2017.
– Grand champion dairy feeder shown by Sydney Nicol for $4,000. The previous record was $3,875, set in 2016.
– Grand champion duck shown by Shelby Jones for $3,000. The previous record was $2,750, set in 2020.
– Reserve champion duck shown by Caleb Rice for $3,000. The previous record was $1,600, set in 2020.
– Grand champion barrow shown by Riley Wendt for $7,100. The previous record was $5,438.72, set in 2020.
– Reserve champion gilt shown by Christian Luke for $5,400. The previous record was $4,425, set in 2011.
– Grand champion market turkey shown by Rylan Gabel for $3,800. The previous record was $3,500, set in 2013.
– Reserve champion market turkey shown by Parker Fannin for $2,100. The previous record was $2,000, set in 2012.
– Reserve champion market goat shown by Libby Ramge for $5,700. The previous record was $3,467.25, set in 2020.
– Reserve champion market ewe lamb shown by Aubrey Moser for $4,000. The previous record was $3,264.97, set in 2020.
Kuhlwein said the “incredible” sale was the result of local buyers as well as cooperation between the junior and senior fairs and the livestock committee.
“Our livestock committee did a fantastic job,” Kuhlwein said. “They really did a nice job with the fair. We couldn’t do it without them. It is nice to see everyone coming together as a team.”
Kuhlwein said it was also a record setting year at the gate. She said she did not have final numbers with her, but more than 13,000 attended this year’s fair.
“It was definitely a record,” Kuhlwein said.
She noted several highlights of the fair including recognition from the Ohio State Legislature for the 175th anniversary of the fair, read during the sale, and honoring families with the county’s Big Brothers/Big Sisters program at Saturday evening’s concert.
“We were really proud to be recognized by the legislature and it was nice to be able to reach out and do something for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters,” Kuhlwein said.
Kuhlwein said the entire fair “went really smooth.”
She said the biggest issue, concert headliner Gary Allan canceling the day before his show, was “handled really as well as it could have been.”
Kuhlwein said she learned about 10 a.m. Friday that a member of Allan’s band had contracted COVID-19 and the band would be quarantined.
An emergency Fair Board meeting was called and officials began working the phones to find a replacement. By 3:30 p.m. Friday, Walker Hayes was signed.
“We did everything we possibly could, the best we possibly could to get the word out to all the ticket holders,” Kuhlwein said.
She said the cooperation that led to a successful sale and the ability to pivot for the concert shows how far the fair board has come.
“When people start to come together, it is amazing what you can do,” Kuhlwein said. “We are blessed. I really feel like we are headed in the right direction.”
She said next year’s fair will be “bigger and better than ever.”
The 2022 Union County Fair is scheduled for July 23-30.
Keagan Nicol, working as a ringman for the auctioneer at the 2021 Union County Fair Livestock Sale, leaps into the air after coaxing a buyer into a higher bid on the reserve champion goat Saturday. Nicol was able to help work two bidders until a record $5,700 was paid for the goat, topping the old record of $3,400. Nicol, a 2020 Fairbanks High School graduate, reportedly sold an animal in last year’s sale, before working at this year’s event. (Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson)