Record breaking: $1.3 Million sold at auction
Over $1.3 million was sold at the 2022 Rotary Junior Livestock Auction on the final day of the Klamath County Fair. (Image: Anonda Rae)
Hundreds of buyers gather for a pre auction meal. (Image: Anonda Rae)
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – After four amazing days full of concerts, events, showings, vendors, food, and more; the 100th celebration of the Klamath County Fair has come to a close. But not before breaking another record. The Rotary Junior Livestock Auction has been setting records for the last several years and 2022 was not an exception. This past Sunday, over $1.3 million was transacted for 4-H and FFA youth of the Klamath Basin.
This number is likely to grow as transactions are finalized and additional donations are made. Buyers can, and do, often round up purchase prices to further help the exhibitors.
“Klamath County Fair’s 100th-year celebration was an impressive event,” said Traci Reed, Klamath County 4-H Program Coordinator. “The 4-H and FFA shows exemplified the commitment of the youth. The auction proved to be another record-breaking year thanks to the support of our community.”
With 260 lots on the sales sheet, the junior livestock auction started off just as hot as the outside temperatures and kept steamrolling through the final sale.
Jenna Melsness’s Grand Champion Market Sheep closed for over $30,000 while the West Waters Buchanan Scholarship swine earned over $21,000 just on the paddle raise alone. Every year, one swine and steer are donated by local ranches to be raised by club members and sold at auction with the money going to the scholarship program. The scholarship is then awarded to select 4-H and FFA members attending college.
At the end of the sale, before any additional addons are tallied, each lot that sold on Sunday, averaged $5,012.
Champions & Buyers
Jenna Melsness
Grand Champion Market Sheep
Buyers:
Cardinal Flooring, Modoc Contracting, and Pine Tree Chiropractic, $30,400.
Image: Diane Keith
Grace Kliewer,
Grand Champion Market Beef
Buyer:
Sherms Thunderbird Market, $13,400.
Image: Diane Keith
Kaitlyn Bloom
Grand Champion Market Swine
Buyer:
Liberty Tax, $10,400.
Image: Diane Keith
Thayden Rabbiosi
Grand Champion Market Rabbit
Buyers:
Schooler Farms, Irvin Peterson Trucking, Klamath Basin Equipment, $7,407.
Image: Diane Keith
Taylor Gorden
Grand Champion Market Chickens
Buyers:
Benefit for the Basin, Sierra Cascade Nursery, Sunny D Manufacturing, Klamath Basin Equipment, Barn Mountain Equine & Supply, Diesel Nerd LLC, $6,244.
Image: Diane Keith
Jamie Whitaker
Grand Champion Market Goat
Buyer:
Coast Truck Centers, $3,696.
Image: Diane Keith
Charles Overcash
Grand Champion Market Turkey
Buyer:
Buckleys Inspection Service, $2,080.
Image: Diane Keith
A selection of photographs from the final day of the Klamath County Fair is below.
