The nd Annual Virginia Beef Expo proved to be another great and successful event and Friday was the day to be there, especially if you wanted great weather. The Virginia Beef Expo was blessed with great weather on Friday and Sunday but struggled through downpours, winds and even a nearby tornado warning on Saturday.

SEEDSTOCK SALES

     Large and enthusiastic crowds greeted the six seedstock cattle sales on Friday, the first day of the Expo. There were sales of Angus, Charolais, Composite, Hereford, Red Angus, and Simmental cattle all on Friday. On Saturday, the commercial heifers were sold. 

     The Angus sale began Friday's sales with 37 lots averaging $2289. Topping the sale was a heifer pregnancy from Knoll Crest Farm sired by Connealy Consensus which sold for  $10,000 to McKellar Angus of Texas.

     The Hereford's also sold on Friday morning. Their 47 lots averaged $1558. Top sale honors went to Virginia Tech and a Westwind JWR Tundra 148R sired yearling heifer safe in calf to THM Durango 4037 which brought $3300.

     The afternoon sale scheduled began with the Simmentals. The 52 lots sold averaged $2048. The high Simmental sold was a three year HTP SVF In Dew Time son which brought $3900 and sold to Ashby Garth of Virginia.

     Also selling in the afternoon at 1:30 PM were the Charolais cattle. The Charolais folks offered 23 lots which garnered a $1576 average. Top sale honors went to Lot 17, a cow/calf split from Desco Charolais. The three year old Eatons 5084 daughter sold for $1750 to Soderquist Farms who also paid $1750 for Baldridge Kojack 29K fall born daughter.

     The Composite cattle sale offered 15 lots for a $1008 average with several semen and embryo lots.

     The Red Angus sale concluded Friday's sales with 30 lots sold. Country Acres Farm topped the sale with a Red Fine Line Mulberry 26P yearling son. The bull sold for $2900 to Cotts Red Angus of Staunton, Virginia.

    The Virginian Hereford Association's black baldie commercial sale offered 65 head on Saturday afternoon. There were 3 first calf heifer pairs that averaged $1650. Three bred heifers averaged $1370 while 59 open, ready to breed baldie heifers averaged $1024 a head.

 BEEF QUEEN CONTEST

     The Virginia CattleWomen conducted the Virginia Beef Queen contest on Friday of the Expo. Six talented and well spoken young ladies made their presentation about our beef industry. The top three contestants will receive scholarships from the Virginia Cattlemen's Foundation. Lacey Koontz of Harrisonburg was chosen as the 2011 Virginia Beef Queen.

YOUTH CATTLE SHOWS

     Even with the forecast for rainy weather, approximately 140 young people exhibited over 280 project animals from Saturday afternoon through early Sunday afternoon. The Junior Beef Roundup included classes in showmanship, various breed shows, a commercial heifer show and a steer show.

YOUTH CATTLE WORKING CHAMPIONSHIPS

     The Youth Cattle Working contest offers a unique learning opportunity to teach young people the basics of beef quality assurance and safe cattle handling. With over 60 teams competing for the opportunity to participate in the championships at the Beef Expo, that means over 180 young folks have gained some valuable educational experience. The Grayson FFA team took home top honors in the contest which pitted the top 13 teams from around the state.