BEEVILLE — Despite a down-turned national economy, local businessmen and ranchers reached deep into their pockets to topple last year’s Junior Livestock and Homemakers Show total sale amount by $100,000.

The total for this year’s sale was $413,315. Last year’s sale raised $312,000 and the year before that, $268,000.

The highest selling animal was Cuatro Schauer’s grand champion steer, which went for $8,000. The champion lamb, also shown by Schauer, went for $6,000.

An influx of new sponsors, some of them oil related or even longtime businesses who have been benefiting from the recent boom, is likely responsible for this increase.

Show board President Rachel Hensch said, “I do know we had some new buyers this year that had not at least purchased under those names (previously). Certainly we had some new ones from the area oil companies.”

Hensch added that even the regulars were bidding more than in years past. “They were all generous.”

Hensch admitted that when she heard how much was brought in through the sale, she was shocked.

“Actually I think everybody else was too,” she said. “I expected to do as well as in the past year or two.

“I thought if we maintained and did about the same, we would be doing good.”

And when it came to the sale of the special items to benefit the scholarship fund, everybody chipped in.

“What I thought was really awesome was a lot of the youth out of there were putting money in,” she said. “It was not just one or two. It was a large number of kids that turned around and donated their own personal money for the scholarships.

“The kids have learned giving and charity.”

Some of the top dollar amounts were:

Steers

• Grand champion: Cuatro Schauer, $8,000

• Reserve champion: Cuatro Schauer, $4,000

Lambs

• Grand champion: Cuatro Schauer, $6,000

• Reserve champion: Joel Larakers, $5,999

Hogs

• Grand champion: Lane Rothlisberger, $5,000

• Reserve champion: Lane Rothlisberger, $4,999

Goats

• Grand champion: Cuatro Schauer, $4,000

• Reserve champion: Cuatro Schauer, $3,000

Rabbits

• Grand champion: Zachaus Rowe, $2,500

• Reserve champion: Joshua Garcia, $2,499

Chickens

• Grand champion: Kacey Russell, $4,000

• Reserve champion: Clayton Russell, $2,000

Commercial heifers

• Grand champion: Trenton Dragon, $5,000

• Reserve champion: Cuatro Schauer, $4,998

Crafts

• Grand champion 4-H: Jerry Delgado, $2,500

• Grand champion FCCLA: Jarred Gonzales, $3,500

Ag mechanics project

• Grand champion: D’Anne Wilder, $2,000

• Reserve champion: Gregory Hudson, $1,999

Jason Collins is the editor at the Bee-Picayune and can be reached at 358-2550, ext. 121, or at editor@mySouTex.com.