MANSFIELD — Allyson Cook’s grand champion dairy feeder calf held the auction record for a matter of minutes.
Cook earned $4,200 for her calf at Saturday’s Richland County Jr. Fair Market Livestock Sale, beating a previous best of $4,000, but her streak was be short lived.
Addison Shira of Shelby entered the ring with the 3rd place champion and left with a new record – $4,600.
Then Charlotte Niese of Shelby and her 4th place champion shattered the record for a third and final time. Future dairy calf exhibitors will have to top $5,000 to go down in the record books.
“This is my first year getting up in the top eight, so this was a really great fair for me,” said Niese, a 16-year-old member of the Rusty Riders 4H Club.
She said she’ll likely save her earnings for college. She hopes to attend the Ohio State University and become a large animal veterinarian.
Shira called the competition an amazing experience.
“This is my first year taking a feeder calf and it’s all new to me. I just got really lucky with mine,” she said. “I’ve had him since he was three days old, so I’ve bottle fed him and took care of him, so the bond I have with him is just really special.”
Shira, also 16, said her friends and Shelby FFA advisor Randy Eisenhauer helped her learn the ropes. She also plans to put her earnings towards college.
Dairy calves weren’t the only ones setting new standards during Saturday’s auction. Jack Stephens sold his grand champion market hog for a whopping $6,500. Dawson Staley made $6,200 off his reserve champion market lamb. Trenton Braska took home a record-setting $4,900 of this grand champion beef feeder calf.
Hayden Harriman’s grand champion meat goat set a new top figure at $5,000, but Harriman didn’t get to revel in his accomplishment for long. The applause was still echoing when he re-entered the ring with his reserve champion.
Maggie Lantz bumped the fair record to $2,900 with her 4th place champion dairy goat.
The 17-year-old Crestview student said she’ll likely use the money for college and filling her gas tank. Lantz attends Pioneer Career and Technology Center, where she’s in the dental assisting program. She hopes to study dental hygiene after graduation.
Next up was 11-year-old Aubrey Lambert, who grinned as she stood in the ring with her dairy goat Natalie. It was her first year raising goats.
She ended up setting yet another record — $3,100. But for her father, fair board director Travis Robinson, the money wasn’t what mattered.
“She’s been through a lot,” Robinson said, misty-eyed. “She has hereditary spastic paraplegia. She had a big operation last year. This is the first things she’s found that she really enjoys.”
“She’s got a responsibility and I told her she’s got to stand by it. She’s done well.”
Robinson said the funds will be used to buy another goat for next year.
