Livestock show, sale coming in mid-April
By Andrew Bell
Published in News on April 1, 2007 2:09 AM
Following one of the most successful years in its history, local children and farmers are gearing up for the 59th Annual Wayne County Junior Livestock Show and Sale.
The sale, which will be April 11-12 at the Wayne Regional Fairgrounds, will feature the best animals the county has to offer in the beef feeder calf, meat goat and market hog events.
The event begins with the animal weigh-in from 8 to 11 a.m. April 11. The first show of the two-day event will be the junior meat goat show at 6 p.m. The top showmanship recipient this year will get a $50 prize.
At 8 p.m., the junior feeder calves take to the ring, with a $75 prize for the top showman.
On April 12, the day begins with the junior market hog show, which starts at 9 a.m. and comes with a $50 first prize. The livestock judging contest will be held at 1:30 p.m.
All participants and their families are invited to dinner at the fairgrounds at 6 p.m. Parents are encouraged to bring desserts for the meal.
The event will wrap up with an awards presentation at 7 p.m. and the sale at 7:30 p.m., which will be auctioned by Don Musgrave.
Wayne County Livestock Development Association President Curtis Shivar said the event continues to gain support because the community understands the importance of promoting livestock. Farm sales accumulated about $314.5 million in Wayne County last year.
Also, the event provides a child the learning experience of selecting, managing and marketing animals, Shivar added.
But at the end of the day, Mrs. Coite said it isn't about the animals or the money -- it's about the experience.
"We have several new people this year and we hope that they have a positive experience. We want them to enjoy themselves," she said.
Almost 100 animals were tagged for entry last year.
Last year's grand champions included meat goat winner Rachel McCullen, market hog winner Courtney Butler and feeder calf winner Jesse Grady. The reserve champions in those categories were Dalton Ginn, Nathan Barwick and Hannah Grantham, respectively.
The public also did its part last year, with more than 130 volunteers, supporters and buyers contributing to the event, Shivar said.
Residents can contribute their support again this year in a variety of ways, he said. People can contribute to help with show premiums or add to the sale price of an animal. Any checks can be made payable to the Wayne County Livestock Development Association and be mailed to P.O. Box 1100, Goldsboro, N.C. 27533.
Residents can also choose to attend the event and bid at the auction or the show management staff can bid on behalf of a person based on the amount that person wants to contribute.
For a list of general rules and specific rules for each event, call 735-7277.