Market sale brings mixed emotions

SANDPOINT — For some participants in the Bonner County Fair 4-H animal sale, parting with their livestock is such sweet sorrow — for others, it’s a relief.

After raising their pig, sheep, steer or goat for months with the express purpose of selling it at the fair, it’s only natural that some participants grow attached to their critter.

Animals that proved stubborn, ornery or even mean, on the other hand, had much to fear from the young ranchers who meant business.

“It was a lot of hard work and I’m kind of sad she’s going, but she was being a bad goat,” said Mayle Ducken of her entry, Maise.

Throughout the months that Mayle raised Maise, she had to contend with an easily-annoyed creature who would often jump up and resist, leading to some near-injuries for the girl.

The same proved true for Mayle’s friend, Quinn Hooper, and her goat, Wendell Wickersham.

Given Maise’s place on the naughty list, there might have been mixed feelings when the goat’s buyer returned her to Mayle in an act of generosity.

It’s all a part of the tension and excitement of the animal sale — participants of all ages hope to make a profit and wonder what will become of their animal. Buyers have the option to process their purchases into meat, sell them to a livestock yard or give them back to the original owner, and there’s no telling what outcome they’ll choose.

For Megan Bowers, the sale of her steer Danny was an exercise in inevitability. No matter whether he stayed at the Bowers household or was sold to another buyer, his purpose was already set.

“It’s really hard letting him go, but if I didn’t let someone else eat him, we’d just be eating him at home,” she said.

At the very least, Danny was well-raised for that outcome. After 14 months of hard work, Megan earned the distinction of entering the steer with the highest average weight gains. The cow packed on an average of 4.2 pounds a day, making him an especially hefty entry into the animal sale.

“It’ll be nice not to have to deal with the constant stressing about him putting on weight,” Megan said.

Similarly, Davan Gilmore and Jayse Forell spent about nine months raising their sheep for the fair. On the one hand, they were looking forward to getting out onto the display floor in front of an audience of hundreds. However, they also knew that the few seconds in the market was also likely the end of a labor of love.

“It’s going to be a little sad to give him away,” Jayse said. “It’s hard at the end of the day to realize he’s not yours anymore.”