The crowning of Brycelyn Ruddick of Brownstown as the Jackson County Fair queen on the first day of this year’s fair continued a tradition that began 61 years ago.

There’s another fair tradition, however, that has an even longer history.

That would be the 4-H livestock auction, which was first conducted 64 years ago.

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While the crowning of the queen is always an emotional occasion, unlike the livestock auction, it’s a happy one. The auction also is emotional but more somber since the 4-H’ers have to say goodbye to animals they have spent months raising.

“It’s kind of sad … bittersweet for me,” Kaylee Branaman of Medora said.

The 15-year-old sold her shorthorn steer for $2,100.

“That’s pretty good for how much he weighs,” she said.

The Brownstown Central student said she plans to set aside the money to help with the purchase of a car.

She said she spent about six months with her steer, but she was wasn’t too attached to him.

“… but I have a connection with him,” said Branaman, who was selling a steer for the first time. She isn’t new to the livestock auction, however, because she has sold hogs during past fairs.

Jacob Nierman of Brownstown said his Maine-Anjou steer sold for $2,200, which was a little less than the $2,500 he had hoped to get.

He said he planned to save the money for college because it keeps getting more expensive.

“I can use every dollar I can get,” he said.

Nierman said he has sold steers for several years at the fair, and it’s not too emotional of a day for him.

Over the past five years, the auction has netted an average of $239,783 for 4-H’ers. This year’s numbers were not available at press time.

There are always plenty of buyers to be found, including Ralph Collins, manager of the Rumpke of Indiana’s Medora Landfill.

“I’ve been buying for 16 years,” Collins said. He said he also has occasionally gone to the livestock auction at the Scott County Fair.

“Rumpke started out as a hog farm back in the 1930s,” he said.

As an homage to the company’s roots, Collins said the company also buys pigs.

Doing so is a great way to help a kid out, he said.

Another buyer, Luke Nolting with Spurgeon Funeral Home in Brownstown, said purchasing an animal at the auction is just about one thing for him.

“I was in 4-H for 10 years and showed pigs, so that’s why I am giving back (to the 4-H auction),” Nolting said. The funeral home has been purchasing an animal from the auction for years, he said.

The first Jackson County Fair 4-H livestock auction was held in August 1953 and netted $1,600 for the 22 beef and pig club members.

The grand champion 4-H barrow exhibited by Irving Schneider Jr. was purchased by H.A. Thompson, president of Jackson County Fair Board, for 30 cents a pound.

Auction sales of the 20 4-H prize-winning barrows netted $1,112.25 for their owners. Others selling barrows besides Schneider at that first auction were Gary Payton, Tommy Ainscough, Michael Ulrey, Ephriam Briner (two), Bonnie Densford, Rebecca Densford (two), John Feaster, Doris Wente, Ed Sebastian, Howard Wente (two), Milton Otte (two), Fred Frische and Ronald Otte (three).

Other purchasers besides Thompson, who purchased a second barrow, were Jackson County Farm Bureau, The Brownstown Banner, Cordes Hardware Co., Ewing Mill Co. (five), E.M. Boss (two), Richard Elliott, Buhner Fertilizer Co. (two), John Kamman, Ralph Thompson and Seymour Producers (two).

Granger Smith, president of the Seymour Chamber of Commerce, and Henry Krumme Jr., president of the chamber’s agriculture committee, purchased two “blue-ribbon middleweight calves” for a barbecue lunch at Shields Park for a “Business-Industry-Farm Day” on Sept. 17 at Shields Park. The Aberdeen Angus steers were exhibited by Bobby and James Thompson of Cortland at the fair and brought prices of 30 cents and 28 cents per pound.

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Year;total

2017;NA

2016;$212,775

2015;$253,425

2014:$249,000

2013;$241,700

2012;$241,790

2011;$237,800

2010;$193,696.60

2009:$193,550.86

2008;$187,180.50

2007;$146,425.96

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