ROME TOWNSHIP — She was a little bitty girl with a market lamb that may have been bigger than she is. But Saturday morning at the Lawrence County Junior Fair, Kara Saunders walked away a big wad of money for her months and months of hard work and that reserve champion lamb: $20 a pound for her 132-pound livestock exhibit netted her $2,640.

“We buy all our food from Cooke’s Farm Center,” Saunders explained. Cooke’s was the successful bidder for the lamb. Saunders said she was pleased with the results.

The auctions Friday and Saturday closed the 2012 edition of the fair that mesmerizes a large part of Lawrence County for eight days.

 

 

Lambs

In addition to Saunder’s reserve champion lamb, the 122-pound grand champion lamb, raised by Taylor Pancake, went for $11 a pound. Pancake pronounced herself pleased with the sale and said she already had a good use for that money.

“I just turned 16 June 14,” she said with a smile. “I want to get a car.”

Lawrence County Treasurer Stephen Dale Burcham and the McCown and Fisher Law Office jointly announced at the end of the lamb sale that they would boost each lamb’s sale price to $4 a pound.

 

Goats

Scott Dial’s 98-pound grand champion goat garnered $18 a pound ($1,764). Dial said he was “very excited” by his sale.

“This is going to pay for college,” he said. He plans to get a bachelor’s in biology and hopefully go on to veterinary school.

Carleigh Pinkerman’s 79-pound reserve champion goat got $15.75 a pound ($1,244) from Myers Fast Lane, Rising Sun Boar Goats and C&C Grocery. Does Pinkerman have plans for her cash?

“Not really,” she said. “I guess I’ll save it.”

 

Steers

Cody Myers grand champion steer netted $4 a pound and at 1,352 pounds, that totals $5,408.

“That’s really good,” Myers said. “I appreciate all the buyers coming out (to the auction).” Myers is starting college in the fall and this money will help pay for his higher education.

Brenna Morris’ 1, 336-pound reserve champion steer went for $3.50 per pound, or $4,676. Like some of her fellow 4-H members, Morris has an immediate need for the money she earned.

“I just bought a car,” she said.

 

Hogs

They say you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear but you can make $6,050 when you sell the rest of the pig at the fair auction. That’s what grand champion pig owner Shawna Myers collected Saturday for her 275-pound market hog ($22 per pound).

“I’m happy,” Myers said on her way out of the show ring. This will help pay for her higher education someday: Myers wants to be a veterinary technician.

Savannah Keathley’s 270-pound reserve champion hog netted $15 a pound ($4,050), which was a little more than she expected, she said.

Keathley has plans for the money.

“I need a car,” she said.

Interestingly, it was a car dealership that purchased her pig: Bob Clyse of Ironton.

 

Big bidders

One group of bidders repeatedly walked away with grand and reserve champion animals at the Saturday large animal auction. The group, often in various combinations, included Lawrence County Commissioners Les Boggs, Bill Pratt and Freddie Hayes, Lawrence County Auditor Jason Stephens, Stephens and Son Grange Insurance, Guy’s Floor Covering, Rolo Construction, Sand and Gravel, Jerry Rowe, candidate for Lawrence County Treasurer, Leonard Holtzapfel, candidate for Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals, State Sen. Bob Peterson, State Rep. Ryan Smith, Ohio River Bank, Fayette Township Trustees, Mike Finley Construction, the Kirkpatrick family, Lambert Law Office, Lawrence County Engineer Doug Cade, and Farm Credit Services. Members of this group purchased the grand and reserve champion steers, the grand champion market lamb, the grand champion market goat and the grand champion market hog in addition to other animals offered throughout the day.

Members of this group, in various combinations, along with Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless, Lawrence County Coroner Kurt Hofmann and State Rep. Terry Johnson, M.D., also purchased the grand and reserve champion tobacco, the grand champion and reserve champion market rabbits and the grand champion market chicken.

 

Tobacco

Ethan Cade’s grand champion tobacco sold for $1,600 while Alec Herrell’s reserve champion tobacco sold for $600 to members of the above-mentioned group.

 

Bunnies

Rhett Ball’s 9.4-pound grand champion rabbit sold for $1,800 while Joseph Williams’ reserve champion rabbit sold for $1,500 Ultimate Health Services joined Holzapfel, Lambert and Lawless in purchasing that animal. Ball said he had hoped to get $2,000 but $1,800 was close enough.

“It’s better than last year,” Ball said. “I’m going to put it into the bank.”

Williams said he was “happy with whatever I got.” He said the money will help pay for a car and college tuition.

 

Chickens

Sky Barnett’s one-pound grand champion chicken sold for $1,500 to the above-named group of mostly Republican bidders while Kimberly Schmidt’s reserve champion chicken, also one pound, sold for the same amount to Spice of Life Catering, Rocky Top Farms, Lawrence County Farm Bureau, Holliday’s Quick Stop and Rocky Top Motocross.

Barnett said she was “pretty pleased” with her sale and said she wasn’t sure what she will do with her money. Schmidt pronounced herself “very pleased” and said she had only expected $600 from her sale. Her sale proceeds will go toward a car and college tuition.