The 2016 Auglaize County Junior Fair Livestock sale kicked off Friday morning in the swine arena.
In front of a packed crowd of bidders and onlookers, Auctioneer Tim Eiting got things started with a message to audience members.
"This is what we always call the celebration of youth here in Auglaize County -— a year of hard work by many 4H and FFA members throughout the county that's climaxed here today and tomorrow at the junior fair sale," he said.
Things got started with Wapakoneta High School senior Caitlin Schaub and her Grand Champion Market Lamb. The bidding started at $2,000 and was quickly driven up to $6,000, the price it sold for to several bidders.
"I'm very thankful that I have people in the community supporting me," she said.
The lamb was named grand champion Tuesday night. Although Schaub has been raising lambs for seven years, she has not had a grand champion until now.
"My sister won one year, but I've never won," she said.
This does not mean Schaub is a stranger to winning big at the county fair. In 2012, her grand champion beef steer went for $20,000 at the auction. Still, she was excited to see her lamb do so well.
See Saturday's newspaper for the full story.