Cleveland Livestock Show youth auction breaks record, nets $688K in sales

On Friday, the Cleveland Livestock Show’s youth livestock auction smashed records, netting more than $686K in sale earnings, an all-time high. From Angus to Hereford, chickens to rabbits, goats, pigs and lambs, animals of all sizes flooded Stancil Park Exposition Center as spectators watched the furious bidding under the guidance of auctioneer Scott Droddy.

Participants spent countless hours and their own hard-earned money in preparation for the event, caring for and training their animals in the months prior. All that hard work paid off in the end.

Some auction items soared to a sum of $30,000 like Annaleigh Davis’ market swine. While the Hardin 4-H student’s project was not picked as a grand or reserve champion, a collection of five bidders – Maci Feed, Colony Ridge, D. Burton Construction, Earthscapes of Texas and Andco – wanted to give Davis a morale boost as she recently suffered a medical crisis.

The second-highest project sold was Tristen Purswell’s Exotic Heifer. Her heifer started a friendly bidding war between Bill Wingfield, who owns Maci Feed Store and Wingfield Concrete with his wife, Tammie, Donald Burton, owner of D. Burton Construction, and Cory Anderson, owner of Andco. The three men finally settled on a three-way bid of $20,000.

Purswell rewarded each with a hug after the auction. As they stood together for a group photo, they let Purswell know she was welcome to take the animal back home, but she was having none of it. With more than a little sass, she looked up to them and quipped, “Y’all better take it home with you or it’s going to the Raywood Livestock Sale.”

Here is a list of the youths who were picked for grand and reserve champion, their club or chapter, bid price and buyer/buyers:

• GRAND CHAMPION MARKET STEER – Ryland Smart, Hardin 4-H, $18,500, Wingfield Concrete
• GRAND CHAMPION MARKET SWINE – Chloe Jarvis, Tarkington FFA, $7,000, Colony Ridge
• GRAND CHAMPION SENIOR CAKE – Chloe Jarvis, Plum Grove 4-H, $3,500, Colony Ridge
• GRAND CHAMPION SENIOR ART – Alison Mathis, Plum Grove 4-H, $2,000, Colony Ridge
• GRAND CHAMPION EXOTIC HEIFER – Addison Sopchak, Hardin FFA, $11,000, Wingfield Concrete
• GRAND CHAMPION JUNIOR CAKE – Jaxon Minx, Dolen 4-H, $2,400, Martin Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
• GRAND CHAMPION JUNIOR ART – Addison Ledesma, Tarkington 4-H, $5,250, Colony Ridge
• GRAND CHAMPION MARKET BROILERS – Ayden Gerloff, Tarkington 4-H, $2,400, Andco
• GRAND CHAMPION MARKET GOAT – Caylee Anderson, Mid-County 4-H, $6,000, Colony Ridge
• GRAND CHAMPION SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHY – Kaylie Perdue, Plum Grove 4-H, $2,000, D. Burton Construction
• GRAND CHAMPION MARKET LAMB – Jana Rollins, Hardin 4-H, $5,000, Wingfield Concrete
• GRAND CHAMPION AG MECHANICS – Caiden Pickett, Hardin FFA, $7,500, Wingfield Concrete
• GRAND CHAMPION JUNIOR PHOTOGRAPHY – Emma Adams, Trinity Trailblazers 4-H, $5,200, Adams Construction
• GRAND CHAMPION F-1 HEIFER – Ellie Brett of Hardin FFA, $10,000, Wingfield Concrete
• GRAND CHAMPION MARKET RABBITS – Luke Patton, Hardin 4-H, $5,000, T & J Farms
• GRAND CHAMPION AMERICAN HEIFER – Savannah Hanson, Liberty FFA, $15,000, Smart Oilfield Services
• GRAND CHAMPION JUNIOR FOOD – Caylee Anderson, Mid-County 4-H, $6,000, Wingfield Concrete
• GRAND CHAMPION SENIOR CRAFT – Hannah Crance, Tarkington FFA, $2,500, Earthscapes of Texas
• GRAND CHAMPION JUNIOR CRAFT – Keira Hayden, Tarkington 4-H, $3,500, Grant Hayden Farms
• RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET STEER – Caylee Anderson, Mid-County 4-H, $15,000, Colony Ridge
• RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET SWINE – Madison Moore, Tarkington 4-H, $5,000, Martin Chevrolet
• RESERVE CHAMPION SENIOR FOOD – Mallory Fitzgerald, Hardin 4-H, $7,500, Earthscapes of Texas, Wingfield Concrete and Chubby’s Packing
• RESERVE CHAMPION EXOTIC HEIFER – Emma Claire Wiggins, Liberty Junior FFA, $7,000, Wingfield Concrete
• RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET BROILERS – Addison Ledesma, Tarkington 4-H, $2,500, Veronica Herrera
• RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET GOAT – Madison Watson, Hardin FFA, $11,000, Wingfield Concrete
• RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET LAMB – Paige Creel, Hardin FFA, $5,500, Earthscapes of Texas and Chubby’s at the Lake
• RESERVE CHAMPION AG MECHANICS – Hayden Fisher, Hardin FFA, $3,500, Andco
• RESERVE CHAMPION F-1 HEIFER – Wyatt Parker, Hardin Junior FFA, $18,000, Wingfield Concrete
• RESERVE CHAMPION MARKET RABBITS – Braelyn Baucom, Liberty Junior FFA, $3,750, Donnis Land Clearing
• RESERVE CHAMPION AMERICAN HEIFER – Nate Stoesser, Liberty Junior FFA, $14,000, Dee’s Concrete World

Click through the gallery to see photos of each of the grand and reserve champions:

The auction had a total 130 items. Other bidders included Dayton Lease and Pipeline, Brookshire Bros., Chachere Feed, Potetz Home Center, JLA Realty/Jennifer Parker, Hanson Cattle Company, Coastal Row, Richard Watson, Reed’s Processing, Airtech Solutions, Baytown Sand and Clay, HAKS Cattle, Williams Cattle, Pct. 1 Commissioner Bruce Karbowski, Bulkheads and Boat Lifts, Cameron Real Estate, Stanfield Propane, Crance, Trophy Gallery, Walker Farms, Bill Sjolander, Leonard Poling, Shamrock Vacuum, Cammie Carpenter, KBH Construction, Pace-Stancil Funeral Home, Cowboy Cleaners, Shane Gulledge, Zane Gray, Lansdowne Moody Kubota, DOT Services, Caylee Anderson, and J & J Farms.