Blue Ribbon Auction

Auction Help Desk Hours (Located by the Show Arena): 

• Thursday & Friday - 6-8 pm 

• Saturday - 1-3 pm

Auction Committee Members:

Karin Schaefer, Nicole Hills, Kate O. Gwyn B. Jacob Wilts, Nicki Schahn, Kelsey Heinz, Alyssa Heinz, Seena Glessing, Josh Simpson, Mic Boll, Carol Reinhart, Jeff Wheeler, Frank Sullivan, Randy Wagner, Matt Schaefer

All sales at the auction are donation only. The youth retains ownership of the animal. By committing to bid today, you’re investing in the futures of Wright County’s hardworking youth! We’re so grateful for you!

The purpose of the Wright County 4-H Blue Ribbon Auction is to:

• Promote the leadership and communication skills of young people

• Promote the importance of the livestock industry

• Promote quality meat production

• Support Wright County 4-H Animal Science Programs 

Project areas that eligible to be in the Auction:

• Beef: Dairy Steers (1000 lbs.), Beef Steers (1000 lbs.), Market Heifer (900 lbs.)

• Dairy: Dairy Baskets (8 exhibitors will be selected at the dairy show)

• Goat: Market Goats (min weight depends on breed), Market Breeding Goats, Dairy Goat Basket (2 exhibitors will be selected at the goat show)

• Poultry: Breeding Ducks, Market Turkeys, Breeding Chickens, Production Laying Chickens, Quail, Market Geese, Breeding Turkeys, Pigeons, Market Ducks, Breeding Geese, Market Chickens

• Rabbit: Breeding Rabbits (Doe/Buck), Rabbit Fryers

• Sheep: Market Lambs (100 lbs.), Breeding Lambs

• Swine: Market Barrow (200 lbs.), Market Gilts (190 lbs.), Breeding Gilts

Donation starting bids will be as follows:  

• Fryer Rabbit: $5

• Quail: $10

• Fleece, Chickens: $20

• Geese, Ducks: $25

• Rabbit, Pigeons: $30

• Goats, Turkeys: $50

• Swine, Sheep: $100

• Steer of Heifers: $250.00

• New! All sales at the auction are donation only.

• Payment options are checks (payable to Wright County 4-H), cash, or credit card. *3% cc fee. Buyers can pay at the sale or be invoiced at a later date.

• 4-H is a 501c3 organization - donations are tax deductible

• New! Bidders are invited to participate in a hospitality hour starting at 5:00 pm to enjoy refreshments and check-in. Auction will begin promptly at 6:00 pm.

• All bidders must be present at the auction or have someone present representing them.

• New! Bidders can pre-register for their auction number to save time at the door!  Please fill out the form below.  Registrations will also be accepted at the Auction.

Registration

4-H’ers must pre-register for the auction by June 5 using the form below.  Youth are allowed one entry into the auction with an animal that has received a Champion, Reserve Champion, or Blue Ribbon. Considering it is not possible to know if an animal will qualify for the auction until the show, we ask that you pre-register your most likely animal and then confirm or change your entry at the auction desk as soon as possible after your show.

All sales at the auction will be donation only. The youth will retain ownership of the animal. 75% of the donation will go to the 4-H member and 25% of the donation will be retained by the Wright County 4-H Blue Ribbon Auction Fund. 

4-H'ers should contact businesses to attend the Blue-Ribbon Auction; please tentatively have three businesses that can attend the auction.  Please print the Sponsorship Form (also found below) and return form to the auction desk to report the businesses that will be bidding on your animal. 

Weigh-In Schedule

Exhibitors need to be with their animal at weigh-in. Every animal will be weighed and needs to meet minimum weights of: 1000 lbs. for beef and dairy, 900 lbs. for beef heifers, 200 lbs. for barrow swine, 190 lbs. for gilts, 100 lbs. for market lambs, and appropriate breed weight for market goats. Weights are announced at the sale. Check the weigh-in schedule on your species section of the livestock project page.

Sale Order

Your position in the sale is determined by a drawing before the sale.  Sale order will be posted in show arena. 4-H’ers present their own livestock in the ring.

At the Sale

Be on time! Check-in begins at 5:00 pm and the auction starts at 6:00 pm. Prepare your animal and yourself as if it was show day. Please wear your auction t-shirt! Make sure you take a photo with your animal and buyer and be sure to thank your buyer!

Clean Up After Sale

All auction participants are asked to be on hand to help clean the ring after the sale.

W-9 Forms

For any youth who earns more than $600 at this year’s 4-H Blue Ribbon Auction, 4-H Federation must complete and provide an IRS form 1099-MISC. For this reason, it is required by the IRS that you complete & sign a W-9 to provide us with the appropriate information. We must have a copy of your W-9 on file before we are able to mail out your auction checks.  Electronic copies are fine as long as they are completed with a legal signature.   

Thank You Notes

Be sure to write a thank you note to the buyer after the sale!  This is very important to the success of future sales.  The Auction Committee will provide a picture and a thank you card to each 4-H'er to use to thank your buyer for their participation in the auction. Thank you notes must be turned in to the 4-H Office to be able to receive your auction check. 

Checks

Checks will be mailed out to participants within two weeks of the end of the fair, as long as all required items (w-9 form and thank you cards) have been received by the 4-H office.