Following Saturday night’s rodeo, another Trinity Valley Exposition Rodeo and Fair will be in the history books, along with a record-breaking livestock auction that brought in $793,744 for local youths. The premium sale and freezer sale were held Friday, Oct. 22, in the TVE arena in Liberty.
Despite it being a post-pandemic year, bidders did not disappoint the hundreds of local youths who raised livestock and created projects for this year’s county fair.
The premium sale alone had 139 items with the top bids going to Hayden Coleman of Plum Grove 4-H and MaKenna Furlow of Hardin FFA. Coleman’s Grand Champion Market Steer sold to the Tommy Watts Group while Furlow’s Grand Champion AOB Commercial Heifer sold for $17,000 to her grandfather’s Furlow Ranch.
Here’s a list of top 25 grand and reserve champions, along with the winning bid and bidder:
- GRAND CHAMPION MARKET STEER: Hayden Coleman of Plum Grove 4-H, $17,000, the Tommy Watts Group
- RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET STEER: Ty Tinkle of Hardin FFA, $8,500, Community Toyota
- GRAND CHAMPION AMERICAN COMMERCIAL HEIFER: Nate Stoesser of Liberty Junior FFA, $14,000 to Twin County Air Service
- RESERVE CHAMPION AMERICAN COMMERCIAL HEIFER: Cameron Ripkowski of Dayton 4-H, $6,500 to Trophy Gallery
- GRAND CHAMPION AOB COMMERCIAL HEIFER: MaKenna Furlow of Hardin FFA, $17,000 to Furlow Ranch
- RESERVE CHAMPION AOB COMMERCIAL HEIFER: Emma Claire Wiggins of Liberty Junior FFA, $5,000, to Colony Ridge
- GRAND CHAMPION MARKET SWINE: Brooke Poole of Barbers Hill 4-H, $7,500 to A&H Services
- RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET SWINE: Porter Simeon of Liberty Junior FFA, $7,499 to Community Bank of Texas
- GRAND CHAMPION MARKET GOAT: Dustin Poole of Barbers Hill 4-H, $4,000, to Colony Ridge
- RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET GOAT: Maggie Stephenson of Anahuac FFA, $4,000 to Baret Stephenson Farm Bureau and Dayton Leasing
- GRAND CHAMPION MARKET BROILER: Avery Philley of Dayton 4-H, $5,500 to Crossroads Dodge
- RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET BROILER: Isaac Parham of Barbers Hill 4-H, $3,250 to Colony Ridge
- GRAND CHAMPION MARKET RABBIT: Lacey Tinney of Hardin FFA, $4,000 to the Tommy Watts Group
- RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET RABBIT: Savannah Ballinger of Dayton 4-H, $3,500 to Chachere Veterinary Clinic
- GRAND CHAMPION MARKET LAMB: Breely Buffamonte of Dayton FFA, $7,750 to A&H Services and the Tommy Watts Group
- RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET LAMB: Dustin Poole of Barbers Hill 4-H, $3,500 to Colony Ridge
- GRAND CHAMPION DECORATED CAKE: Cameron Ripkowski of Dayton 4-H, $3,500 to Colony Ridge
- GRAND CHAMPION FOOD: Beth Lambert of Tarkington FFA, $3,250 to the Tommy Watts Group
- GRAND CHAMPION PIE: Alexis Roy of Mid Chambers County 4-H, $3,000 to Capital Farm Credit
- GRAND CHAMPION BREAD: Lillian Worthy of Hardin FFA, $4,000 to Hanco and Dayton Leasing
- GRAND CHAMPION FINE ARTS PROJECT: Preslee Brooks of Plum Grove 4-H, $3,500 to Wowco
- GRAND CHAMPION HANDICRAFT/FLORICULTURE PROJECT: Matthew Hughes of Hardin 4-H, $2,750 to Connie Campbell Farm
- GRAND CHAMPION FOLIAGE PLANT: Cameron Ripkowski of Dayton 4-H, $2,500 to Colony Ridge
- GRAND CHAMPION COLORED PLANT: Kara Tousha of Liberty FFA, $4,000 to the Tommy Watts Group
- GRAND CHAMPION MIXTURE PLANT: Emma Brett of Hardin FFA, $4,250 to John Brett
Colony Ridge owner Trey Harris (center) was recognized for being the volume buyer at the 2020 Youth Auction. Pictured with him are Greg Dodson and Gary Lott with TVE. 
Hardin student Ava Green performed The National Anthem at the start of the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. 
Nate Stoesser, a Liberty Junior FFA member, sold his Grand Champion American Commercial Heifer for $14,000 to Twin County Air Service at the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. 
Bid callers at each side of the buyers section kept the auctioneers apprised of bidding during the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. 
Cameron Ripkowski, a member of Dayton 4-H, sold her Reserve Champion American Commercial Heifer for $6,500 to Trophy Gallery at the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. 
Hayden Coleman with Plum Grove 4-H raised the Grand Champion Steer for this year’s Trinity Valley Exposition livestock competition. The steer fetched $17,000 at the premium sale on Friday in the TVE Arena in Liberty. The buyer was the Tommy Watts Group. 
Hardin senior and FFA member MaKenna Furlow sold her Grand Champion AOB Commercial Heifer for $17,000 to Furlow Ranch. 
Emma Claire Wiggins of Liberty Junior FFA sold her Reserve Champion AOB Commercial Heifer for $5,000 to Colony Ridge at the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. 
Brooke Poole, a Barbers Hill 4-H member, leads her Grand Market Swine into arena for bidding at the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. It sold for $7,500 to A&H Services. 
Porter Simeon walks his Reserve Champion Market Swine into the arena on Friday for the TVE Premium Sale. It sold for $7,499 to Community Bank of Texas. 
The Grand Champion Market Goat sold for $4,000 to Colony Ridge at the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. The goat was raised by Dustin Poole of Barbers Hill 4-H. 
Anahuac FFA member Maggie Stephenson sold her Reserve Champion Market Goat for $4,000 to Baret Stephenson Farm Bureau and Dayton Leasing at the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. 
Avery Philley of Dayton 4-H holds her Grand Champion Broiler inside the arena for the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. The broiler sold for $5,500 to Crossroads Dodge. 
The Reserve Champion Market Broiler, raised by Isaac Parham of Barbers Hill 4-H, sold for $3,250 to Colony Ridge at the Trinity Valley Exposition Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. 
Hardin FFA student Lacey Tinney holds her Grand Champion Market Rabbit as the bidders begin making their offers at the Trinity Valley Exposition Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. The rabbit sold for $4,000 to the Tommy Watts Group. 
Dayton 4-H student Savannah Ballinger sold her Reserve Champion Market Rabbit for $3,500 to Chachere Veterinary Clinic at the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. 
Breely Buffamonte gets her Grand Champion Market Lamb into position during the Trinity Valley Exposition Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. She sold it for $7,750 to A&H Services and the Tommy Watts Group. 
After selling his Grand Champion Market Goat, Dustin Poole, a Barbers Hill 4-H member, returned to the arena to auction off his Reserve Champion Market Lamb at the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. It sold for $3,500 to Colony Ridge. 
Cameron Ripkowski’s colorful cake won Grand Champion Decorated Cake and sold for $3,500 to Colony Ridge at the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. Ripkowski, a student at Dayton 4-H, had a successful week as she also had the Grand Champion Foliage Plant and the Reserve Champion American Commercial Heifer. All totaled, the bids for these three items were $12,500. 
Beth Lambert of Tarkington FFA had the Grand Champion Food item at the TVE Premium Sale. It sold for $3,250 to the Tommy Watts Group. 
Alexis Roy’s Grand Champion Pie sold for $3,000 to Capital Farm Credit at the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. Roy is a member of the Mid Chambers County 4-H. 
Hardin FFA member Lillian Worthy’s Grand Champion Bread sold for $4,000 to Hanco and Dayton Leasing at the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. 
Preslee Brooks, a member of Plum Grove 4-H, sold her sunflower photo, which earned the Grand Champion Fine Arts prize, for $3,500 to Wowco. 
Matthew Hughes holds up a lamp he made that earned him a spot in the winners circle at the Trinity Valley Exposition Premium Sale. The lamp was picked as the Grand Champion Handicraft/Floriculture Project and sold for $2,750 to Connie Campbell Farm. Hughes is a member of Hardin 4-H. 
Cameron Ripkowski’s Grand Champion Foliage Plant sold for $2,500 to Colony Ridge at the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. 
Kara Tousha (left) holds up her Grand Champion Colored Plant at the TVE Premium Sale on Friday, Oct. 22. The plant sold for $4,000 to the Tommy Watts Group. 
Emma Brett of Hardin FFA sold her Grand Champion Mixture Plant for $4,250 to John Brett.