Fair 4-H Livestock Auction: A celebration of hard work and community spirit

For participating 4-H members, months of early mornings and rigorous care led to one final walk around the ring on July 10 at the 2026 Owen County Fair. A total of 85 sheep, swine, goats, rabbits, poultry, and beef entries went up for bid during this year’s 4-H Livestock Auction. Assisted by veteran ring men Bill Williams, Kevin Cooper, and Dusty White, auctioneer Mike Edwards set a celebratory tone for an auction that highlighted exceptional livestock and earned strong financial backing from local supporters.

The swine division kicked off the auction with 20 entries, raising a total of $29,600. Bryson Cooper secured the evening’s overall highest bid, bringing in $6,000 for his 284-pound entry through a joint effort from 3D Guttering, Spencer Trailer Sales, and Hey Bo Garage Door Service. Cooper was also honored with the Swine Barn Herdsman Award. Bids for the remaining 19 swine entries ranged from $700 to $3,100.

In the goat barn, 27 entries brought in a combined total of $24,500, headlined by a three-way tie for the top bid of $1,200. Levi Maxfield earned $1,200 for a 70-pound Boer goat, matching the top price fetched by Lincoln VanDerMoere for a 51-pound Nubian and Charlie Wood for a 51-pound dairy cross. The remaining 24 entries sold between $700 and $1,100, while Declan Williams received the 2026 Goat Barn Herdsman Award.

The small animal sales maintained strong momentum as well. Ily Swan presented the sale’s sole rabbit entry, earning $800 for her grand champion meat pen from winning bidder Bob Jones.

In the poultry division, 20 total entries raised $10,050. Ten-year 4-H member Meilynn Hess captured the top poultry price when The Peoples State Bank placed the winning $1,300 bid on her broiler class entry, while the remaining 18 lots brought between $300 and $800. Savanna Warner was recognized with the 2026 Poultry Barn Flock Award.

Bidding proved particularly competitive during the beef sale, which generated $30,700 across eight entries. Rowan Cooper led the category, fetching $4,600 for a 1,380-pound crossbred steer—the week’s Grand Champion—thanks to a combined bid from Cooper Sales & Service and the Marvin Morris Group. The other seven beef lots ranged from $3,400 to $4,100. Fletcher Abrell earned beef rate-of-gain honors with a 1,185-pound crossbred steer averaging 3.14 pounds of daily gain, while Eli Wood took Dairy Barn rate-of-gain recognition for a 1,090-pound Holstein dairy steer that averaged 2.29 pounds per day.

Rounding out the livestock sales were nine sheep entries, which raised $7,000 in total. Ten-year 4-H member Samual Logsdon commanded the division’s highest price, bringing in $1,800 for a 151-pound black face cross. Kaiden Abbitt earned the Sheep Barn Herdsman Award, and Kayden Greenwell captured rate-of-gain honors with a 110-pound black face cross. The remaining eight sheep entries ranged in price from $300 to $1,000.

To top off the successful sale, local businesses added special financial support for the participants. Insurance Services, Duling Insurance, and Babbs Supermarket – In Memory of Charlie Hamilton partnered to present each 10-year 4-H member with an extra $100 award. Additionally, Farm Bureau, Inc. demonstrated its ongoing support by pledging an extra $40 bonus to every 4-H member who participated in this year’s livestock auction.

In an exciting bonus round at the conclusion of the 2026 Owen County Fair Livestock Auction, community generosity took center stage with a special extra sale. Chip Hamilton of Chip’s Outdoor Services generously offered eight ricks of split and delivered firewood to support the fairgrounds. A spirited bidding war ensued, culminating in a winning $1,100 bid from Bixler Bulldozing. All proceeds from the special donation will directly benefit future capital improvements to the Owen County Fairgrounds.

This year’s total list of buyers at the livestock auction included the following:

Swine – 20 entries
3D Guttering (1/3)
Spencer Trailer Sales (1/3)
Hey Bo Garage Door Service (1/3)
Spencer VFW Post #1405
Big Creek LLC (3)
District 46 State Representative Bob Heaton
In Memory of Jim Rice
Babbs Supermarket
Dan Lindsay (2)
Fender 4-Star Meat Processing
District 37 State Senator Rod Bray (2)
Spencer Save-A-Lot
H&B Cattle Company
KMSJ Services
Tim and Sandy Wallace
Duling Insurance
Nate and Megan Fair
Town & Country Veterinary Clinic – Bloomington

Goats – 27 entries
Babbs Supermarket (2)
Bob and Carolyn Livingston
Harry Miller Farms
Dan Lindsay (2)
Owen County Democrats
Wood Angus Farms
Cook Medical (2)
Owen County Republicans
Spencer Hardware & Lumber Company (4)
Fender 4-Star Meat Processing (2)
Concord Construction, Inc. (1/2)
Abrell Family Farms (1/2)
Bixler Bulldozing
Corbin and Kaitlin Abrell
Town & Country Veterinary Clinic – Bloomington
KMSJ Services
Western Indiana Credit Union (2)
Owen County State Bank
Mike & Nannette Edwards
Warner Family

Rabbits – 1 entry
Bob Jones

Poultry – 20 entries
Deckard Show Pigs
The Peoples State Bank (3)
Gosport Dental
Cook Medical (2)
Cooper Farms (2)
Phil Myers Family Farm
Town & Country Veterinary Clinic – Bloomington
Mike & Nannette Edwards
KMSJ Services
District 37 State Senator Rod Bray (2)
Kevin and Ann Cooper & Family (2)
Rick Lineweaver
Warner Family
Seth Sears Buddie Foundation

Beef – 8 entries
Davison Hardwood Quality Specialist (H.Q.S.) (1/2)
British Swim School of Bloomington (1/2)
Tim and Sandy Wallace
Becks Hybrids
Gosport Dental
Woods Electric
Bixler Bulldozing
H&B Cattle Company
Cooper Sales & Service (1/2)
Marvin Morris Group (1/2)

Sheep – 9 entries
Concord Construction, Inc. (2)
Town & Country Veterinary Clinic – Bloomington (2)
Owen County State Bank (2)
Cook Medical
Bixler Bulldozing
KMSJ Services (1/2)
Mike & Nannette Edwards (1/2)