It’s a big day for the kids of 4H/FFA as they’ve spent most of the year preparing their animals for this day at the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds in Casper.
A rollercoaster of a day for most of the kids (and parents) as they hope to bring in good money for their animals at the 2019 Natrona Country Junior Livestock Auction.
Even if the animal has qualified to show at the state fair (the last show of the year). The sale signifies the end of a year-long achievement as the kids know there’s no going back now.
A final goodbye is said to the animals that they’ve spent all year feeding, grooming, and training.
There are a couple of exceptions though. Some of the kids who put rabbits or chickens up for sale, end up getting to keep the animals. Buyers will still bid and pay for the animals, however, end up donating them back to the kids. These animals have to be taken alive, so sometimes that can be a tricky prospect for the buyers.
Talking of buyers, representatives from businesses all around Natrona County turn up to bid on the livestock.
Top grade beef, lamb, pork and chevon are purchased, with a lot of the meat being donated back to the local community.
Not only do the purchases benefit the 4H/FFA kids themselves as they learn the agriculture trade, but according to the Natrona County 4H/FFA Jr. Livestock Sale page, $404,431.75 of livestock is donated back to the local community.
Organizations that receive donated meat from the 2019 Natrona County Jnr Livestock Auction include;
12-24 Club
Converse County School District
Holy Cross
I Reach to Lifestyles
Meals on Wheels
Central Wyoming Rescue Mission
Self Help Center
Central Wyoming Senior Services
Seton House
Saint Anthony’s Tri-Parrish School
Youth Crisis Center
Sydney Burgess
4H participant Sydney Burgess from Casper brought her two Hampshire Suffolk cross sheep to this years Natrona County Jnr Livestock Auction.
A member of the Barnyard Rebels 4H Club, Sydney has always wanted to join 4H, and this year her family had space for her to have some. She says she chose to have sheep because a friend recommended them to her.
Sydney says the hardest part of having sheep is training them to walk and stand still. “Shearing the sheep is really fun when you get good at it”, says Syndey. Shearing the sheep makes it easier for judges and buyer to see the quality of the sheep and the meat.
One of Sydney’s sheep won Reserve Champion Ultrasound Market Lamb, which is the one that Fremont Motors Casper Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM store bid the highest on. The meat from the sale gets donated back into the community to Meals on Wheels.
Meals on Wheels deliver food to seniors in the community who are homebound or unable to prepare food for themselves.
She says the proceeds from her sheep sales will go into her savings account to buy a sheep for next year, feed and to also buy Christmas presents. Syndey hopes that she will be able to come back next year and potentially bring a market beef too.
2019 Natrona Country Jnr Livestock Auction Photos
2019 Natrona Country Junior Livestock Auction 
Here is a short video of how a goat auction goes at the sale. A years worth of hard work to be auctioned off in less than 30 seconds.
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