HOUSTON — Four records were broken Friday at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Junior Market Lamb and Goat Auction!
According to the Rodeo, the grand champion lamb, showed by Shepard Silvers of Junction FFA, fetched a record-setting price of $500,000 from the Hildebrand family.
"The auction brings all of us together for one common goal," Brittany Hildebrand said on behalf of the family. "To promote agriculture, support the youth of Texas, and to showcase western heritage."
The reserve grand champion lamb, showed by Stratley Strube of Tom Green County 4-H, was sold for $240,000 to Tea and Bill Pinkley, Fire Safe Protection Services LP - Lizzy and Stephen McKinney, Melissa and Jimmy Guinn, and Skip Avara. This was also a record-setting sale for a reserve grand champion lamb.
"This is for the kids trying to change the world," Stephen McKinney said.
The lambs weren't the only ones setting records, though! From Erath County 4-H, Blaze Mock's grand champion goat, named Appollo Creed, went for a whopping $305,000 to Amy and Mark Melton, the Hucherson and Townsend Family - in memory of Ken Hucherson, Mary Lee and Alan Stigall and Tammy, Peyton and Mitchell Barrier.
"We're not only shaping young kids' lives," Scott Townsend said, who made the purchase in honor of his father. "We're making America a better place."
A fourth record was broken with the sale of the reserve grand champion goat, Mr. Butterscotch, from Madden Wise of Brown County 4-H. That goat sold for $200,000 to J Alan Kent Development - Julie and Alan Kent, Sherry and Connard Barker, Sheri and Rob Walker, and Andrea and Scott Fish.
The Rodeo shared emotional video of Wise hugging his father after his goat was selected as reserve grand champion: