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By the numbers

The large animal livestock sales finished out the Washington County Fair on Tuesday. Total payout for each animal class included:

Market lambs - $38,059, averaging $3.35/lb. ($3.59/lb. in 2008)

Market steers - $48,765, averaging $2.54/lb. ($1.71/lb. in 2008)

Dairy feeder steers - $41,332, averaging $1.48/lb. $1.61/lb. in 2008)

Source: Eric Barrett, Ohio State University Extension Service.

The 2009 Washington County Fair wrapped up with the annual large animal livestock sale Tuesday night. A total of 93 market lambs, 15 market steers and 52 dairy feeder steers were sold by 4-H and FFA members during the four-hour event.

Morgan Smith, 13, of Little Hocking took the premier exhibitor award with her market steer.

"This one was born on our farm; I've raised him since March 2008," she said, noting that rearing a 1,309-pound steer is a big job.

Morgan is a member of the Decatur Buckeyes 4-H Club.

"She goes out at night and early in the mornings to feed and care for her animals, and she wants to start her own herd," said Morgan's mom, Paula Smith. "She uses the money from her livestock sales to purchase her own animals. I'm really proud of her."

Morgan's grandmother, Emily Smith, said her granddaughter is already eyeing a career as a veterinarian.

"She helps with the birthing of animals on our farm -- and it doesn't bother her to doctor them when any of the animals are hurt," Emily Smith said.

The grand champion market steer, raised by Christopher Antill, of Marietta, weighed 1,351 pounds.

Seventeen-year-old Ashley Becker, of Newport, took her first reserve champion dairy feeder steer award on Tuesday. Her animal weighed in at 604 pounds.

"This is my fourth year at the fair, but we've always raised dairy feeders on our farm since I was born," she said.

Becker heard about 4-H from her cousins and joined the Warren Wranglers club four years ago. She, too, plans to become a veterinarian.

"I volunteer every weekend at the St. Marys, W.Va., vet clinic, but they handle mostly small animals," Becker said. "Hopefully I will be able to get into large animal vet school. I just turned in my application to Ohio State last week.

"I would also eventually like to get a ranch and raise horses on the side," she said.

Doug Sprague, of Pine Ridge Meat Processors in Fleming, was one of the many livestock buyers at the Washington County Fair.

"We've been buying at these events since 1983," he said. "This is a great project for the 4-H kids. They really take care of these animals and they do an excellent job. We can tell from the quality of the carcasses.

"We go to seven fairs each year in both West Virginia and Ohio, and buy at every fair, everything from chickens to beef," Sprague said.

Jeff and Stephanie Cox, owners of WeCan Fabrication in Tuppers Plains, also bought livestock on Tuesday, including Morgan Smith's market steer.

"We're just supporting these kids," Jeff Cox said. "My wife and I both grew up in 4-H."

He said the beef would be processed and shared with their employees.

Eric Barrett, with the local Ohio State University Extension office, said the small and large animal sales were good this year.

"The market steers prices were up significantly over last year," he said. "But overall I feel this year's sales went really (well), and considering the economy, we've received a lot of support."

Washington County Fair Board President Steve Tornes said this year's fair has been a success.

"Saturday's crowd was excellent," he said. "We were up at least 2,000 over the same day last year. On Sunday, we probably broke about even, but Monday's attendance was down from last year."

Tornes noted that although Monday was overcast, it did not rain, but people were apparently concerned that there might be some precipitation.

"I was really hoping we could have around 6,000 people on Monday," Tornes said. "That really would have helped out."

Dave Tornes, with the fair board, reported that fair attendance on Saturday was 8,785; Sunday was 7,062; and Monday was 3,762. Figures for Tuesday were not available at press time.