Junior livestock sale nets $276,151We ran 213 kids through the sale,” said auction chairman Joe Bridges. That's up 16 from last year, with more lambs and hogs but fewer steers.Buyers spent $276,151.50 Saturday at the annual Junior Livestock Sale at the Park County Fair, down slightly from $283,334.45 in 2009.

“I still feel as a whole that the sale was a success,” Bridges said. “The kids were extremely happy ... Buyers wanted to support it, even in these tough economic times.”

Beef steers went for an average of $2.84 per pound for 33 head, down 10 cents per pound from last year when 39 steers sold.

Chase Wellner of Powell sold the overall grand champion steer for $4.40 per pound, pocketing $5,808. Mark Bullinger sold the reserve champion steer for $3.60 per pound for a total of $4,968.

Buyers bought 55 lambs for an average $5.62 per pound. That's down $1.10 per pound from last year, but “last year it had jumped $1.20” from the previous year, Bridges said. “That's probably pretty normal. Last year, we had not as many kids, more kids than buyers,” and prices were up overall. “A $1.20 per pound drop is significant, but that's still a pretty good return on these lambs.”

Bronson Smith of Powell sold the high-selling lamb, the grand champion in the white-faced division, for $13.50 per pound, netting $1,687.50. Brittany Nelson, who showed the overall grand champion lamb for the second year in a row, sold her lamb for $10.50 per pound. Anastasia Corbett sold the overall reserve champion for $8.50 per pound.

After a dip in numbers last year, more hogs were sold at the fair this year, Bridges said. The 101 hogs sold averaged $4.18 per pound. Bridges said numbers were up partly because more hogs made weight this year — last year quite a few were too light or too heavy.

Average prices went up 5 cents per pound because “we had a lot of buyers looking for hogs,” he said.

Carter Nielson sold the overall grand champion hog for $8.25 per pound, totaling $1,980. He sold the reserve champion hog last year for $5.25 a pound. This year's reserve champion hog sold for $7.25 per pound, netting $2,015.50 for Kristina Nelson (lamb-selling Brittany's little sister) in her first year of showing animals at the fair.

Bailey Smith of Powell sold the high-selling rabbit for $525. Buyers spent an average of $319.35 apiece for 23 rabbits — pretty big bucks, Bridges pointed out, since most rabbit buyers donate the animals back to the kids who sold them.

And four goats — the most ever sold — went for an average $368.75 each.

Bridges said sale organizers still are totaling add-ons, which will drive up the overall value of the sale.