Top Eight Animals Set All-Time Record of $412,000 at NWSS

The 2016 Auction of the Junior Livestock Champions sets a National Western Stock Show record with the top eight champion animals posting total sales of $412,000. The standing room only crowd hollered as the Grand Champion Steer sold for $117,000, the second highest bid in Stock Show history. The small animals were no small feat either. The auction started with a bang when the Grand Champion Lamb sold for $50,000, exceeding last year’s bid by $10,000. The Grand Champion Goat sold for a record-breaking $40,000, more than doubling last year’s bid of $16,000.

The money invested supports the junior exhibitors that raised the animal as they plan for their agricultural future and college educations. In addition, a portion of the proceeds support the National Western Scholarship Trust, which funds scholarships in agriculture and rural medicine at colleges throughout Colorado and Wyoming. This year 80 students received funds to aid their education.

The top six Junior Livestock animals were auctioned off live on 9News at 6:30 p.m. The results of the eight champions are listed below:

• The Grand Champion Steer weighing a modest 1,344 pounds, sold for $117,000, the second highest bid in Stock Show history to Ames Construction Company. The steer was shown by 16-year-old, junior exhibitor Macey Goreteska, from Korydon, Iowa. Macey accomplished her personal goal to win at the National Western Stock Show. She plans to use the money to go to college.

• Transwest Trucks, Inc. bought the Reserve Grand Champion Steer for $70,000, shown by 14-year-old Jagger Horn from Anson, Texas. Jagger’s father won the Grand Champion Steer at the National Western in 1986.

• The Grand Champion Hog broke another record, selling for $53,000 to Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. The junior exhibitor is 15-year-old Blake Logan from Atlanta, Indiana. Blake wants to use the money for college and study agriculture business.

• The Reserve Champion Hog was sold for a record-setting $35,000 to the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and shown by 12-year-old Cole Phillips from Bullard, Texas. Cole’s future goal is to go to college and study agriculture.

• The Grand Champion Lamb went for an all-time record of $50,000 to Brannan Sand & Gravel and was shown by 11-year-old Bailee Amstutz of Richwood, Ohio, and the youngest exhibitor in the top eight.

• The Reserve Grand Champion Lamb went to Colorado Business Bank with the highest bid ever of $28,000. The junior exhibitor is 14-year-old Kailen Urban of Gotebo, Oklahoma with aspirations to attend Oklahoma State University.

• The Grand Champion Goat set a stock show record selling for $40,000 to PEI and was shown by 14-year-old Aspen Martin from Mason, Texas. Aspen would like to go to college and study at Texas A&M.

• The Reserve Grand Champion Goat shown by 14-year-old Karly Castello, from Tracy, California, was bought by the STEPS Foundation for $19,000.

–NWSS