Leader Staff
Leader Photo by Tim Ryan Sydney Dallman, of the Seneca Stinger 4-H Club, shows off her 153-pound sheep for bidding at the livestock auction in the coliseum at the Shawano County Fair on Friday.
Leader Photo by Tim Ryan Benjamin Brown, of the Angelica 4-H Club, shows his 1,515-pound grand champion dairy cow for bidding Friday during the livestock auction in the coliseum at the Shawano County Fair.
Hundreds of spectators, interested buyers and 4-H families packed the coliseum at the Shawano County Fair on Friday night for the annual market auction of beef, swine and sheep.
The fast-moving, raucous event was marked by spirited bidding on more than 130 animals, accompanied by frequent cheers and applause, especially when bidding standoffs heightened the drama.
Young members representing 21 4-H clubs from all over the county displayed their prized animals for scores of bidders.
For many who were buying, the animals were secondary to the financial contribution they were making. A number of buyers immediately donated the animals back to rebid and be sold a second time.
“The youth get most of the funds from the sale,” said Joe Stellato, 4-H agent with the Shawano County University of Wisconsin-Extension office. “Most of the kids use it for college or technical school. Some of the younger ones might use it for buying another project animal next year.”
The Shawano County Agricultural Society gets 2 percent sales commission to help keep the fairgrounds up, and the 4-H livestock committee takes 1.5 percent for the expenses of running the auction.
“There’s quite a few animals this year,” Stellato said. “There’s a lot of high quality livestock here, a lot of well-muscled animals. They’ll make a lot of good steak and chops and bacon, etcetera.”
Some of Friday’s most vociferous bidding went to 4-H members presenting this year’s grand champion animals, including:
• a 1,351-pound beef cow entered by Emma Toellner, of Bonduel 4-H;
• a 1,515-pound dairy cow entered by Ben Brown, of Angelica 4-H;
• a 271-pound hog entered by Ashlyn Schnell, of Country Korner 4-H;
• a 152-pound sheep entered by Clint Dallas of Wolf River 4-H.
The auction was conducted once again this year by Yoap and Yoap, of Coleman.
“They donate their time every year to do this for us,” Stellato said. “They really keep the auction moving along really well.”
Stellato said he wanted to thank all the people who came out to buy and bid.
“We’re very grateful to them for coming and participating and supporting the young people,” he said. “It’s a great program.”