The 50th annual Governor’s Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction raised a total of $316,800 at the 2018 Wisconsin State Fair, according to state fair officials and members of the Blue Ribbon Sale of Champions Foundation. The 2017 sale raised $267,000.

Bucky Badger and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Marching Band welcomed bidders and fairgoers to the Case IH Coliseum in West Allis and set the tone for an exciting night on Aug. 9. The exhibitors and their champion animals joined Gov. Scott Walker on stage as the auction kicked off.

Bidding commenced with the grand champion steer (crossbred) exhibited by Reid Runkel of Burlington in Racine County. The 1,325-pound steer sold for $47,500, with the winning bid from Meijer.

The reserve grand champion steer was exhibited by Lauren May of Iowa County. Her steer was purchased by Kenosha Beef International/Birchwood Foods for $22,500. May and her older brother Brock have exhibited the grand champion or reserve grand champion steer at the state fair 10 out of the past 11 years.

Exhibitors can keep 80% of the sale price of their animal. The remaining 20% goes toward auction expenses and the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction Scholarship Fund.

The annual auction recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of Wisconsin’s youth exhibitors.

Winning bids
Following are the winning bids for the 2018 Governor’s Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction:

• grand champion barrow (crossbred) exhibited by Brady Wilkes of Racine County; winning bid of $13,000 by Beer Capitol Distributing 

• grand champion market lamb (natural-colored) exhibited by Sarah Johnson of Walworth County; winning bid of $13,000 by Walmart and Bob Lannin Racing

• reserve grand champion barrow (crossbred) exhibited by Alexis Oberman of Washington County; winning bid of $13,500 by Interstate Parking and Statewide Fencing

• reserve grand champion market lamb (Hampshire) exhibited by Trenna Cherney of Juneau County; winning bid of $7,500 by the Porktoberfeast Syndicate: Lannoye Family, All City Motors, Leff’s Lucky Town, Bunzel’s Meat Market, American Power and Communication, Blue Moon Tavern at the Park, Trawicki Electric, Major Goolsby’s, Zimmerman Architectural Studios, MLG, and Harwood Engineering

• champion Maine-Anjou steer exhibited by Victoria Kohlway of Sheboygan County; winning bid of $12,000 by Beechwood Sales and Service

• champion Duroc barrow exhibited by Ryan Schubert of Iowa County; winning bid of $8,500 by Saz’s, Melotte Meats, Grebe’s Bakery, Original Cream Puff Bakers, Milwaukee Admirals and the Wisconsin State Fair Park Foundation

• champion crossbred lamb exhibited by Ainsley Balfanz of Racine County; winning bid of $7,000 by Premier Insurance Solutions

• champion Charolais steer exhibited by Chance Austin of Rock County; winning bid of $9,500 by Wisconsin Souvenir Milkcaps

• champion Chester White barrow exhibited by Talena Sprecher of Richland County; winning bid of $9,000 by Alsum Farms and Produce, Dalton Lumber and Supply, and Trembling Prairie Farms

• champion any other breed lamb exhibited by Brant Balfanz of Racine County; winning bid of $6,000 by SkyFair Inc., Giant Slide Inc., Caribbean Smoothies and Siggy’s, and II Dog Enterprises

• champion any other breed steer exhibited by Braydon Lewke of Dodge County; winning bid of $8,000 by Beechwood Sales and Service

• champion Berkshire barrow exhibited by Sierra Koski of Clark County; winning bid of $5,000 by the Milwaukee Bucks

• champion Suffolk lamb exhibited by Isabel Roloff of Shawano County; winning bid of $7,000 by Meijer

• champion Angus steer exhibited by Kelsee Fargo of Iowa County; winning bid of $22,000 by Wisconsin Souvenir Milkcaps, Meijer, Rick and Leslie Mindemann, Leah and Andy Mindemann, Bob May, Thornberry Angus, Mark Halbman Co., Premier Insurance Solutions, Windy Pine Angus, KAY CEE Charitable Trust, KCJ Angus, Harry and Holly Ipsarides, and Randy Sandford

• champion Hampshire barrow exhibited by Eric Gonzalez of Walworth County; winning bid of $6,000 by We Energies

• champion Shropshire lamb exhibited by Halie Schwab of Grant County; winning bid of $5,200 by MillerCoors

• champion Simmental steer exhibited by Karol Wroblewski of Portage County; winning bid of $13,000 by Houdini’s Escape

• champion Spotted barrow exhibited by Michael Sleik of Waupaca County; winning bid of $6,000 by Saz’s, the Wisconsin State Fair Park board of directors and the Wisconsin State Fair Park Foundation

• champion Southdown lamb exhibited by Hayden Taylor of Columbia County; winning bid of $2,500 by the Porktoberfeast Syndicate: Lannoye Family, All City Motors, Leff’s Lucky Town, Bunzel’s Meat Market, American Power and Communication, Blue Moon Tavern at the Park, Trawicki Electric, Major Goolsby’s, Zimmerman Architectural Studios, MLG, and Harwood Engineering

• champion Hereford steer exhibited by Taylor Schaefer of Racine County; winning bid of $11,500 by Beechwood Sales and Service

• champion Landrace barrow exhibited by Madison Vosberg of Grant County; winning bid of $4,500 by Steinhart’s Farm Service Inc.

• champion Shorthorn steer exhibited by Lauren Jones of Lafayette County; winning bid of $8,500 by Walmart and Great Lakes Coca-Cola

• champion Yorkshire barrow exhibited by Tyler Fudge of Rock County; winning bid of $8,000 by MillerCoors and the Porktoberfeast Syndicate: Lannoye Family, All City Motors, Leff’s Lucky Town, Bunzel’s Meat Market, American Power and Communication, Blue Moon Tavern at the Park, Trawicki Electric, Major Goolsby’s, Zimmerman Architectural Studios, MLG, and Harwood Engineering

• champion registered dairy steer exhibited by Brittany Rhyner of Iowa County; winning bid of $17,000 by American Foods Group

• Champion Poland China barrow exhibited by Chase Cherney of Sauk County; winning bid of $4,000 by Alsum Farms and Produce, Dalton Lumber and Supply, and Trembling Prairie Farms

• champion Hereford barrow exhibited by Kauy Fargo of Iowa County; winning bid of $3,000 by Crane Farms and Meijer

• champion any other breed barrow exhibited by Seth Sullivan of Iowa County; winning bid of $5,000 by Meijer

Other items auctioned
In addition, four Wisconsin sports packages and an original art piece were also auctioned off:

• A Milwaukee Brewers “Triumphant Trio” framed print signed by Robin Yount, Jim Gantner and Paul Molitor, featuring the cover of the 1992 Brewers Yearbook, complete with a letter of authenticity, went to American Foods Group for $1,000.

• A Green Bay Packers Super Bowl I tribute print consisting of an original Super Bowl program and signatures from Bart Starr and Jerry Kramer went to Jim and Mary Quade of Milton for $5,000.

• A black-and-white framed print of the Mud Bowl, when the Green Bay Packers defeated the Cleveland Browns 23-12 on Jan. 2, 1966, signed by Paul Hornung, Fuzzy Thurston and Jerry Kramer, went to Houdini’s Escape for $2,000.

• A one-of-a-kind Monopoly board game, framed and matted, consisting of over 25 professional golfers’ signatures, went to Houdini’s Escape for $1,100.

• The original, winning artwork by Laura Jackson of Muskego for the 2018 Commemorative Wisconsin State Fairtastic Poster Competition went to Interstate Parking for $2,500.

Source: Wisconsin State Fair