Registration open to Sept. 1 for Adams County livestock auction
An exhibitor leads her steer around the ring at a previous Othello Fair. The 2020 fair was canceled, but livestock committee members are sponsoring a sale Sept. 19.
The Sun Tribune file photo
OTHELLO — Registration will be open through Sept. 1 for the livestock sale sponsored by the Othello Fair Livestock Committee.
The Othello Fair fell victim to the COVID-19 outbreak, with its cancellation announced in early August. “We really held out, hoping we could have the fair,” said livestock committee member Robin Adolphsen. But with six weeks to go, fair organizers had to call it off.
By that time there were kids who had already started raising their fair animals, she said. With the fair canceled the sale options were limited.
Some kids didn’t have a way to find an alternate buyer, and lacked a place to keep the animal over the winter if they couldn’t sell it. With that in mind the livestock committee worked to arrange a sale. “It’s all to help kids,” Adolphsen said.
Participants can register online at the Othello Fair website, www.Othellofair.org. No late entries will be accepted.
Adolphsen said fair officials aren’t sure how many animals to expect, although other fairs have had about half the usual number of entries.
The sale is scheduled for noon Sept. 19 at 1890 W. Hatton Road. It will be open to buyers only.
The livestock committee considered an online auction but decided against it, Adolphsen said. In an online auction, bidders can come from anywhere, and the exhibitor might end up with a buyer halfway across the country.
“What do you do with this animal (in that situation)?” Adolphsen said. Committee members opted for the in-person auction to ensure that didn’t happen.
The sale is open to youths from Adams County and the counties immediately surrounding it, Grant, Whitman, Lincoln and Franklin. Exhibitors will be limited to one animal only.
Exhibitors will bring their animals to the fairgrounds Sept. 18, will take care of feed and water, and then must leave the premises. Exhibitors will be asked to make arrangements to feed and water their animals Saturday morning as well.
“There are lots of volunteers who said they would help feed and water animals,” Adolphsen said, but exhibitors will have to make the arrangements themselves.