RALEIGH – The N.C. State Fair Junior Livestock Sale of Champions raised $214,830 in bids for the top steers, barrows, lambs, goats and turkeys in the sale on Oct. 26.
“The Sale of Champions not only gives us an opportunity to recognize the winners in the N.C. State Fair junior livestock shows, but a portion of every winning bid also goes to scholarships available to all junior livestock show participants,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Congratulations to all those livestock participants and winners, and thanks to all the bidders who make the sale possible.”
The grand champion junior market steer was shown by Brody Coleman of Davidson (Mecklenburg), with a winning bid of $20,000 placed by N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance and Powers Great American Midways.
The grand champion Got to Be NC junior market steer was shown by Hannah Hooker of Mt. Airy (Surry). The top bid of $19,000 came from N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance, N.C. Egg Association, Apple Brandy Prime Cuts and Lickskillet Cattle Co., with additional support from Steve Carroll.
The reserve grand champion junior market steer was shown by Michelle Hartman of Walnut Cove (Stokes). The winning bid of $16,000 came from N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance and Tractor Supply Co. with additional support from Garey Fox.
Dylan Briley of Greenville (Pitt) showed the grand champion junior market barrow. The winning bid of $30,000 came from Agri Supply, Hog Slat Inc., Prestage Farms, Smithfield Foods and N.C. Pork Council, with additional support from Huneycutt Ventures.
The reserve grand champion junior market barrow was shown by Billie Faith Fulcher of Godwin (Cumberland). Hog Slat Inc., Prestage Farms, Smithfield Foods, N.C. Pork Council, Agri Supply and Farm Credit Associations of N.C. placed the winning bid of $25,000.
Hesston Meadows of Leicester (Buncombe) showed the grand champion junior market lamb, which earned a winning bid of $16,000 from N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance and Iron Horse Auction and Realty.
The grand champion Got to Be NC junior market lamb was shown by Charley Jennings of Raleigh (Wake). The winning bid of $16,000 came from Tractor Supply Co., with additional support from Pack House Farm and Park Place Dental of Durham.
The reserve grand champion junior market lamb was shown by Zade Jennings of Kenly (Johnston). The top bid of $15,000 came from Farm Credit Associations of N.C., N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance and Agri Supply.
Zade Jennings also showed the grand champion junior market meat goat. Agri Supply, Iron Horse Auction and Realty Co., N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance and Chaudhry Halal Meats Co. LLC placed the winning bid of $15,000.
Adelyn Hemilright of Columbia (Tyrrell) showed the grand champion Got to be N.C. junior market meat goat and the reserve grand champion junior market meat goat. For the double-category winner, the winning bid of $16,000 came from N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance, with additional support from Dismal Swamp Boers.
Zade Jennings also showed the grand champion market turkey. The winning bid of $8,500 came from the N.C. Soybean Producers Association, Farm Credit Associations of N.C. and Agri Supply.
Joleen Windsor of Madison (Rockingham) showed the reserve grand champion market turkey. Tractor Supply Co. and the N.C. Soybean Producers Association placed the winning bid of $5,000.
Bryson Baldwin of Statesville (Iredell) showed the Supreme Dairy Female. The winning bid of $12,500 received a Taste of N.C. Dairy Basket. Buyers were N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance, Farm Credit Associations of N.C., N.C. Dairy Producers Association, N.C. Egg Association, NCSU Agricultural Institute, Maola, the N.C. Soybean Producers Association and the N.C. Veterinary Medical Association, with additional support from the Bond Family, Cowbuyer.com, Nancy Keith Family, Coby Kievett, Riverbend Creamery, Iredell County Farm Bureau, Rocky Creek Dairy and Thompson Cattle Co.
An additional $830 was raised by auctioning off two gift items during the Sale of Champions.
Grand and reserve grand champion winners receive money from the sale, and a portion of the bids also goes into a scholarship fund that participating youth are eligible to apply for to apply to higher education. Because of strong support of the 2024 sale, 30 $2,000 scholarships were awarded in the spring of this year.