Youngsters benefit from generous bidders during the Junior Livestock sale record
LOVINGTON — Mike Gallagher said it best.
“It was a great year,” the Lea County Manager announced.
He was referring to the Lea County Junior Livestock Sale setting a new record for sale totals without add-ons of $573,500.
Residents from around Lea County packed the Livestock Pavilion Show Ring at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo grounds Saturday morning, both in the stands and standing three to four people deep in some areas around the ring. A feeling of anticipation of good sales of the livestock for the exhibitors ran through the crowd while smiles were abundant on everyone’s faces, with some of the junior showmen smiles also showing anxious nervousness.
Before the sale began, W. Shane Hall, who has been the sale’s auctioneer for about the past 15 years, said he was excited for the kids to have a good sales and earn money for further education.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do, but it would be really cool to get to that $1 million mark,” he said smiling before the sale. “That would be really cool.”
With add-ons, the mythical $1 million junior livestock show sale might not be completely out of reach this year, but it would take a lot to get there.
After the sale was over, Mary Haarmeyer, of Haarmeyer Electric in Lovington, said she will be adding $1,000 to Ashley Arreola’s meat goat sale.
“I love doing it because it’s a way to give back to the kids — straight to the kids without any of the filters, without any kind of problems, you just give it straight to the kids who are doing the work,” Haarmeyer said. “We love doing that.”
Arreola held the second-highest sale total for meat goat at $10,000. The group that put that bid put together were a number of buyers, in what is called a hand-off. Nave Oil and Gas, the Hobbs Buyer’s Club — a group of people who donate a certain amount each in order to have more bidding power, O&S Quick Change, Dean’s Boot Shop, Epicenter Productions, LBA & Associates, Lea County Commissioner Pat Sims, Kyle and Kim Johnston, and Amanda Spearman all joined together to place the winning bid.
“It’s real important (to support the kids through the livestock sale),” said Helen Nave with Nave Oil and Gas, who not only was involved with the purchase of Arreola’s meat goat, but also involved with several other purchases. “These are the good kids to me. They stay out of trouble and this gives them responsibility and a good start. I think it’s a real good program to get kids in.”
Nave noted the majority of the money raised from the sale goes directly to those kids’ further education. The total amount Arreola’s meat goat brought in will enable her to continue her education past the high school level.
“I’m going to do a program at Texas Tech called ‘TTU K through 12.’ It’s a high school program that also transfers into college. All that money is going to go to school,” said the Tatum High School junior and Tatum FFA member. “I’m very relieved because school is something I really want to go to and now I can.”
While Arreola said raising and training animals for the show ring is hard work, she wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“It’s hard work,” she said. “This is my second year and I plan on doing it until I can’t any more.”
It was a good show for all exhibitors with the winning bid for many animals bringing additional educational opportunities in reach for most junior showmen.
The top meat goat bid went to Jal 4-H’s Kendra Cervantes, who edged out Arreola at $10,250, and Monument 4-H’s Cale Cox barely missed the five figure bid column with a bid of $9,000.
Three of the top winning bids for market steer topped the $10,000 mark, starting with Lilly Spearman, of High Lonesome 4-H, with her Class V Reserve Grand Champion at $12,000; Jaylee Parker of Monument 4-H, with her Class I 3rd place steer at $12,250, and Jett Parker of Monument 4H, with his Class V 3rd place steer at $10,500. Tatum 4-H’s Hannah Kinsolving was just a bit under at $9,000 for her market steer.
Three-year-old Versatility horses commanded a premium in winning bids with Tatum 4-H’s Noah Harris’ Reserve Grand Champion taking in the show’s winning bid of $12,500. TVC 4-H’s Brie Riley’s Grand Champion commanded a winning bid of $11,500.
Yearling horses also fared well with Kelton Campbell’s, of Tatum 4-H, prospect colt earning the top winning bid of $9,500, Tatum 4-H’s Tripp Angell’s prospect colt bringing in $7,000, and Kooper Kerby’s prospect colt gaining a winning bid of $6,750. Fillies did not bring quite as much as the colts, but there were still high numbers as Tatum 4-H’s Avery Henard got $6,000 and Zion Harris’ filly brought in $4,000. Henard’s sister, Kolbi, along with Shelby Peterson each brought in a bid of $3,500.
In the dairy heifer category, a name synonymous with dairy in Lea County, Goff, had two youngsters who brought in high bid totals for their animals with Adyson Goff edging out Peyton Goff for the top bid, $8,500 to $7,000. High Lonesome 4-H’s Olivia Schaap, Loving-ton FFA’s Jaelee Wier, and Enchantment 4-H’s Eric Duncan all received winning bids of $5,000 each for their dairy heifers.
Poultry brought good winning bids with TVC 4-H’s Elaina Valdivia fetching a winning bid of $5,000 for her egg producer, while Tatum FFA’s Taylor Graham’s broiler brought in $4,500, and High Lonesome 4-H’s Cadi Godwin’s broiler brought in $3,500.
There were 25 market lambs in the sale with the top one being the second to last animal in the sale. High Lonesome 4-H’s Micah Couture took in $7,250, Tatum 4-H’s Kheyenne Coombes and Hollyn Mitchell each earned $6,750 while Hobbs FFA’s Melanie Velasco and High Lonesome 4-H’s Addison Roberson’s market lambs each garnered a winning bid of $5,500.
Tatum FFA’s Taylor Graham’s rabbit brought in the top bid among rabbits with $5,000, while Lovington FFA’s Hagen Lizardo earned $4,000 and Tatum FFA’s Tyler Graham garnered $3,000.
Like market lambs, market swine had 25 entries into the sale with Tatum FFA’s Ava Griffin showing the last animal of the day, and earning top bid for market swine with $8,000. TVC 4-H’s Cayson Hawley earned a bid of $5,250, while Tatum FFA’s Chasity Sparks received a winning bid of $5,000.
Not all exhibitors qualify to make the sales’ 121 sale spots and exhibitor who did qualify for the sale took it upon herself to help those junior showmen who didn’t make it.
Drannon Young, of Enchantment 4-H baked a large sheet cake, about three feet square, that was auctioned off as the first item of the sale — with that amount to be split among exhibitors who did not qualify for the sale.
The cake sold for $6,000. The winning bidder donated it back to those in attendance and 4-H members cut it and gave a piece to anyone who wanted one.
For her effort, Young was rewarded with a sale price of $6,750 on her meat goat.
Parents, spectators, officials and almost everyone agree the livestock program and sale is for the kids.
“It’s all truly dear to me,” Hall said about why he works FFA and 4-H stock show auctions. “I grew up in 4-H and FFA. I actually started off as a FFA teacher in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Then I got into banking and auctioneering and for me (the FFA and 4-H is) one of the most beneficial, fascinating and rewarding organizations there is in the United States.”
“It’s a good family project. It builds families and relationships, and makes friends forever,” Nave said.
The total sale amount of $573,500 before add-ons surpasses the previous record of $552,454 set in 2014, last year’s $467,750 and 2019’s $515,350, but overall total will be tallied with add-ons. The 2019 sale is the current overall record with add-ons at $603,228. Add-ons will be taken until Aug.
21. Those who wish to can call the Lea County Fair Office.
