By Kaitlyn Geiger
CCN Correspondent

BUCYRUS — Much like the day was for the last few years, Saturday morning was gloomy and rainy outside, but a bit more light-hearted for the young exhibitors inside the ring selling their champion animals at the Sale of Champions.

A total of five records were broken this year, all thanks to local businesses who come out to support Crawford County youth.

The first record to fall also was the first animal through the ring, Emily Rudd’s grand champion lamb. The previous record, set last year, was $4,150. The 2018 lamb went for $5,000. The buyers who contributed to the new record were Dr. Rupert Rudd and ELR of New Washington.

Rudd also had the reserve champion lamb, sweeping her species.

“Since my first year in showing livestock, I have wanted to sweep both of my species in the same year, so I did half of that and it is a great feeling,” Rudd said. “As for setting the record too, that was pretty cool.”

Rudd still has two years of eligibility to try and accomplish her goal of sweeping both of her species.

When asked what her favorite experience was at this year’s county fair, she said that getting second Friday night at the Showman of Showman competition was probably her favorite thing from this week.

Although the hog record did not fall, it was tied with last year’s record, with the exhibitor Lori Millenbaugh tying her own record of $5,000.

“Tying my record from last year is amazing,” Millenbaugh said. “I just want to thank all of my buyers for making that happen for me. I also want to thank my grandpa for rounding up my buyers, it’s a lot of family love in this I guess.”

Millenbaugh also was in the Sale of Champions for grand champion beef feeder, which brought in $2,000.

When asked how it felt to make it into this year’s Sale of Champions with two different species, she said, “It’s a great feeling, all of my hard work finally paid off. It’s a lot of early mornings and late nights in the barn, and a lot of stressing over if they are going to be big enough or if they are going to fill out nice.”

Millenbaugh’s favorite part of the fair was winning the hog show, as she did not expect to with her lightweight hog, because she said lightweights don’t usually win.

Other records to fall, were both grand and reserve poultry, shown by Darren Wurm and Douglas Reer, respectively. The record for grand champion poultry was $1,500 set in 2014, but is now $1,900 thanks to United Bank. The reserve record, set in 2004, was $1,250 and is now $2,000 courtesy of Mid-Wood Inc. and Plymouth-Shiloh FFA Alumni.

Avery Langenderfer broke the reserve overall market dairy steer record, which previously was $1,000 and is now $1,600 thanks to Fahey Bank.

The last record to fall for the day, was the grand champion goat exhibited by Payton Miller. The record, set in 2016, was $2,500 but now is $2,800, courtesy of Tina Lust with Becks Hybrids, Brause Farms INC., First Federal Community Bank, Mizick Miller & Co., Longview Farms-Chuck Grau family, United Bank, Lust Bros Farms, and Pioneer seeds-Greg Schifer.

Many of the sale participants were thankful for the individuals and companies that bought their animals, and hope the sponsors continue to support the livestock portion of the fair in the future.