Nueces County Junior Livestock Show: Large champion bull auctioned for $43,000

Nearly 600 students, dressed in cropped jeans and tucked in buttons and some with glittery belt buckles, stood alone to auction their livestock at the 88th Annual Nueces County Blue Ribbon Sale.

Government officials and local businesses, including Port of Corpus Christi and Mike Shaw Toyota, sat at reserved tables in the main arena at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds to bid on what exhibitors had to offer.

As auctioneers John Gary Collins and David Mart Digby called out bids, the students stood with their farm animals, smiling.

Layton Lawhon of the Bishop 4-H Club was one of the high school students who auctioned off her Grand Champion Market lamb. Corpus Christi Academy of the Incarnate Word freshman became Sheep Breeding Grand Champion, Lamb Market Grand Champion and Ultimate Showman.

Lawhon’s lamb was auctioned for $25,000.

“I plan to use the money to fund college,” Lawhon, 14, said. “College is so expensive, so this money will help.”

While planning to become a veterinarian, Lawhon said that the livestock show is a great experience and she plans to compete for the rest of her high school career.

The Grand Champion and the Reserve Grand Champion of the Bull Carcass division did not receive any money from the auctions. Instead, the money raised went towards the Livestock Show scholarship program.

Nearly 600 students received almost $1.6 million through scholarships.

2023 Champion Sale

Grand Champions:

• BroilersPeople: Riley Unterbrink, River Hills 4-H; sold at auction for $8,000.
• Turkey: Savannah Clark, Blanzer 4-H; sold at auction for $20,000.
• Market Bunnies: Gracin Hill, Annaville 4-H; sold at auction for $12,000.
• Goat Meat: Shelby Walker, River Hills, 4-H; sold at auction for $19,500.
• Market Management: Hank Herrmann, Bluntzer 4-H; sold at auction for $43,000.
• Market lamb: Leighton Lawhon, Bishop 4-H Club; sold at auction for $25,000.
• Market Pig: B. K. Weaver, London 4-H; sold at auction for $28,500.
• Frame bull: Hannah Wright, Chaparral 4-H; raised $20,000.

Reserve Grand Champions:

• Broilers: Josef Charba, Diamondbacks 4-H Club; sold at auction for $7,999.
• Turkey: Brinley Elwood, Flour Bluff/Padre Island 4-H; sold at auction for $21,000.
• Market Bunnies: Jeremiah Hooper, Flour Bluff/Padre Island 4-H; sold at auction for $11,999.
• Goat Meat: Braden Bleven, London 4-H; sold at auction for $19,499.
• Market Management: Heis Herrmann, Bluntzer 4-H; sold at auction for $42,999.
• Market lamb: Fallon Hedfelt, Kalallen FFA; sold at auction for $11,500.
• Market Pig: Jacqueline Peña, Banquete FFA/Jr. FFA; sold at auction for $28,499.
• Frame bull: John Harrington, Kalallen, FFA; raised $6499.