Junior livestock winners take home $67,100 in auction

Junior livestock exhibit-ors from across the state collectively walked away with $67,100 in the annual Junior Livestock Sale of Champions. The auction fea-tured junior livestock grand and reserve champions from the steer, barrow, lamb, goat and turkey contests.

"The Sale of Champions is a great way to encourage the next generation to work in agriculture," said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.

Harris Teeter purchased the junior market steer and N.C. Born And Bred grand champion for $25,000. It was shown by William Jones of Barnardsville (Buncombe County). Martin Meats purchased the reserve champion, also shown by Jones, for $10,000.

"This is the first year that the same animal took the top prize in both the junior market steer and N.C. Born and Bred competitions," said State Fair livestock director Bruce Shankle.

Travis Cox of Richlands (Onslow) showed the grand champion junior market barrow. Collin Blalock of Wilson (Wilson) showed the reserve grand champion junior market barrow, which also won the N.C. Born and Bred category. Harris Teeter purchased both animals for $9,000 and $4,100, respectively.

Kayla Hampton of Mount Ulla (Rowan) sold her junior market lamb and N.C. Born and Bred grand champion to Harris Teeter for $4,500, and Ridge Roberts of Shawboro (Currituck) took home $3,300 for his reserve champion junior market lamb.

Kaelyn Mohrfeld of Pink Hill (Lenoir) had the junior market grand champion meat goat and N.C. Born and Bred grand champion, which Harris Teeter bought for $3,000. Iron Horse Auction and EBS Farms bought the reserve champion market meat goat, shown by Abigail Wilson of China Grove (Rowan), for $2,600.

N.C. Farm Bureau paid $3,000 for the grand champion market turkey shown by Emily Aycock of Elm City (Wilson), and Talley Farms purchased the reserve champion market turkey shown by Chris Loehr of Garner (Wake) for $2,600.

For the second year, a truckload auction was held after the Sale of Champions to sell the remaining junior livestock animals. Proceeds were divided equally among entrants.

Stanly County Livestock, Harward Brothers Livestock Market, Martin Meats, Max Cattle Sales, Chesnee Livestock Market and EBS Farms partnered to purchase the remaining 36 junior market steers for $10,000 The remaining 135 junior market barrows were sold for $6,000. In the junior market lamb category, 151 lambs were purchased for $10,000 by N.C. Farm Bureau. Farm Bureau also purchased the remaining 130 junior market meat goats for $5,000. Talley Farms and the N.C. Farm Bureau purchased a truck-load of 232 turkeys for $5,000.