Junior fair auction raises money for area youth
Madalyn Cutshall has a quiet moment with her Reserve Grand Champion Dairy Feeder Calf before auctioning it off at the Junior Fair Livestock Auction on Thursday evening Oct. 6 at the Coshocton County Fair. Josie Sellers | Beacon
COSHOCTON – Her first year taking a market duck was a good one for Brianna Yonley.
She earned the title of Grand Champion Market Duck and sold it for $800 at the Junior Fair Livestock Auction on Thursday evening Oct. 6 at the Coshocton County Fair.
Yonley’s buyer was Central Ohio Technical College and she couldn’t have been more thankful for them and the other businesses that came out to bid on animals at the auction.
“Thank you so much for your support,” she said. “We couldn’t do this without them and their support of the youth.”
John McDonald from COTC said the college always tries to help out the communities it has campuses in.
“This is our 45th anniversary so we wanted to buy a grand champion to celebrate,” he said. “We get a lot of support from the community so we try to support them back. This also helps kids with their college fund.”
A college savings account was exactly where Jesse Olinger said his auction money was going. Olde Towne Realty bought his Reserve Grand Champion Market Chicken for $950.
“It felt pretty good to win this year and it’s nice that the businesses come out and support us,” Olinger said.
Justin Mason’s lamb earned him three awards this year, Supreme Sheep Showman, Grand Champion Market Lamb and Champion Senior Sheep Showman and went for $1,800 to Eslich Wrecking Company.
“It’s great that the business support the kids and we try to support them,” Mason said.
This was his sixth year working with sheep and he plans to put some of his money toward buying next year’s lamb.
Saying goodbye to her dairy feeder calf brought a few tears to Madalyn Cutshall’s eyes.
“It’s hard, really hard,” she said.
However, Cutshall was still very excited about the title she won and the money her fair project sold for at the auction.
“It felt awesome to win Reserve Grand Champion Dairy Feeder Calf,” Cutshall said.
Organic Technologies bought her calf for $2,428 and she plans to save the money for college.
“I want to say thank you so much to them for buying my Reserve Grand Champion Dairy Feeder Calf,” she said. “I really appreciate it.”
Shelbie Carnes’ Champion Market Hog and Champion Market Barrow went for $2,300 to Jeff Drennen.
“I worked it a lot,” she said. “I realized I had to do that to do well.”
This was Carnes’ ninth and final year showing hogs.
“It’s bittersweet realizing that I’m not going to have to be here at the fair seven nights ever again,” she said. “It’s a lot of work, but I’m going to miss it. 4-H has taught me a lot about responsibility and time management.”
Carnes plans to put her auction funds toward college and was very thankful that the Drennens were so generous.
“They are such sweet, nice people,” Carnes said.
A lot of those who bid at the auction, like Bill Owens from Owens & Manning, have been doing it for several years. He’s been participating in the event for at least 40 years.
“It’s a good thing to do for kids,” Owens said. “My daughter was in 4-H for eight years and 4-H keeps kids out of trouble.”
He usually tries to help purchase a champion or reserve champion.
“The last three or four years I’ve gone in with Century,” Owens said. “I tell them you bid and I’ll pay.”
This year they worked together to buy the reserve champion turkey.
Auctioneer Greg Rice said over the last three years the junior fair auction has raised around $900,000 for Coshocton County youth. He encouraged the youth participating in the auction to be appreciative of all the bidders, even if they didn’t purchase their animal.
“All the businesses out (here) in the arena are here to support you,” Rice said. “Without them this would not be possible.”
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