DENVER — The Auction of Junior Livestock Champions at the National Western Stock Show returned Friday night with record-breaking numbers.
The full 90 animals in the auction sold for $1,189,500 — smashing 2020's record by $110,000. The top eight champion animals tallied sales of $519,000.
The auction served as the final marketplace for ribbon-winning steers, lambs, hogs and goats that were raised by junior exhibitors, 4-H and FFA youngsters ranging in age from 9 to 18.
The 2022 Grand Champion Steer, shown by Rhylee Rodgers, sold for a record-high $160,000.
The Reserve Grand Champion Hog sold for an impressive $50,000, breaking the previous record by $14,000 and the Grand Champion Goat set a record sale of $44,000.
Junior Market Steers
Grand Champion
- Rhylee Rodgers
- $160,000 - Ames Construction Company
Reserve Champion
- Aven Horn
- $100,000 - Transwest Trucks, Inc
Junior Market Swine
Grand Champion
- Cole Philips
- $60,000 - Occidental Petroleum
Reserve Champion
- Alia Rodgers
- $50,000 - Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
Junior Market Lambs
Grand Champion
- Colt Randall
- $42,000 - Wagner Equipment Co.
Reserve Champion
- Sayde Allen
- $40,000 - Bruce & Bev Wagner
Junior Market Goats
Grand Champion
- Sayde Allen
- $44,000 - Babson Farms
Reserve Champion
- Jack Hoyle
- $23,000 - TKM Foundation, Kevin McNicholas
Of the thousands of junior market animals that compete at the National Western Stock Show each year, only 90 qualified for the Auction of Junior Livestock Champions.
The goal of the auction of Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion animals is to encourage today’s youth to seek a future in agriculture and to further their education.
A majority of the winning bid price goes directly to the junior exhibitor and 10% of each bid price is donated to support the National Western Scholarship Trust. In the past, winning bids have reached as high as $155,000.
A tradition since 1906, this part-rodeo, part-livestock show and part-fair brings hundreds of thousands of people to the National Western Complex each year for a celebration of our state’s agricultural heritage.
The 116th National Western Stock Show and Rodeo ran through Jan. 23 at the National Western Complex and Denver Coliseum at I-70 and Brighton Boulevard.
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