Denver hits historic high at the Auction of Junior Livestock Champions
The 2020 Auction of Junior Livestock Champions set record numbers again this year. The day began with the Grand and Reserve Champion Steers making an appearance for high tea at the Brown Palace Hotel, which has been a tradition for the last 75 years.
The top eight champion animals set an unprecedented auction total of $531,000. The Grand Champion Steer, named Olaf, sold for an all-time record of $155,000. The Grand Champion Hog sold for an impressive $100,000, and the Reserve Grand Champion Steer sold for $105,000.
The money invested supports these young students who poured countless hours into raising their high caliber animals. Many plan to use the auction funds for their collegiate educations and future in agriculture. A portion of their proceeds support the National Western Scholarship Trust, which funds scholarships in agricultural studies and rural medicine at colleges throughout Colorado and Wyoming. This year, 100 students received funds to aid their education.
The top six Junior Livestock animals were auctioned off live on 9NEWS at 6:30 p.m., and the exciting results are as follows:
The Grand Champion Steer weighed 1,330 pounds and sold for an all-time high of $155,000 to Ames Construction Company. The steer was shown by Ashtin Guyer. Ashtin attends Lakeland College in Illinois where she is studying agribusiness.
Junior exhibitor Jagger Horn showed his 1,344-pound Reserve Grand Champion steer, Zion. Kent Stevinson, Stevinson Automotive, purchased the steer for $105,000. Jagger is 18 years old and plans to attend Texas Tech University.
Colorado junior exhibitor, Alli Stromberger, sold the Grand Champion hog weighing 279 pounds for $100,000 to Transwest Trucks, Inc.—besting last year’s sale by $30,000 and setting a new record.
The 278-pound Reserve Champion hog, Zeke, was sold to Brannan Sand & Gravel for $36,000. The hog was shown by Mikala Grady from Grandview, Texas.
The Grand Champion Lamb, shown by 13-year-old Hudson Franklin of Shallow Water, Texas, was sold for $44,000 to Occidental Petroleum Corporation. Hudson plans to attend Texas Tech University.
Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce purchased the Reserve Grand Champion lamb for a new record of $40,000. The lamb was shown by 16-year-old junior exhibitor Blake Skidgal from Pawnee, Oklahoma. Blake hopes to become a sheep farmer.
17-year-old Cody Sells sold his Grand Champion goat for $29,000 to Babson Farms. Cody is from Taylor, Texas, and he plans to attend Texas A&M University.
The Reserve Grand Champion goat named D.G. sold for $22,000 to Hutchison Western. D.G. was shown by 18-year-old Aspen Martin. Aspen’s favorite experience in the show ring was being the 2016 champion.
