Reece Carmien Shows Top Steer in Kendallville
Published: Friday, July 31, 2026
The 2026 Noble County Community Fair concluded its 4-H events on Friday, July 17, with the annual Noble County 4-H Livestock Auction in Kendallville. Auctioneer Mike Lortie opened the premium-only auction with the first of 177 lots, representing 4-H members from across the county.
When the final bid was called, 165 community members and buyers contributed $108,761 in premium bids, along with an additional $94,645 in add-ons. The auction generated a grand total of $203,406 for the 16 different groups of 4-H members, species clubs, and specialty items.
Prior to the livestock auction, there was a Specialty Foods Auction which had 19 lots that generated $2,185. The poultry club led off the auction with 38 lots that earned $16,325 in premium bids. dairy steer exhibitors followed with 24 lots totaling $21,700, while 17 dairy feeder Steer entries brought $8,225. The grand champion dairy lot sold for $900. Beef exhibitors had 15 market steer lots totaling $11,750, while three beef feeder calves earned $1,700. Twenty-seven swine entries generated $17,100, followed by 18 dairy goat wether lots that brought $8,000. Eleven meat goat market animal lots earned $6,650, and five market lamb entries sold for $2,200. Finally, 15 meat rabbit lots rounded out the auction with total premium bids reaching $7,276.
Several champion exhibitors attracted strong support from buyers and community members throughout the auction. Jefferson Twp.'s Reece Carmien was the first champion to sell, bringing his grand champion dairy steer across the sale block. The Moore family had the final bid, purchasing the final lot for $1,000, while additional support from businesses, family, friends and community members contributed another $1,965 in add-ons. Blake Rauh's reserve champion dairy steer also came through the auction. The Green Twp. 4-H member's final bid came in at $850 and received an additional $265 in add-ons.
Ten-year 4-H member Adelaide Hopf, also of Jefferson Twp., sold a quart of milk from her grand champion Jersey cow. Purchased by the Moore family for $900, the lot also received $750 in add-ons.
Then, Green Twp. member Sadler Earnhart sold her reserve champion beef steer for a grand total of $2,150. The final premium bid came in at $1,000 with an additional amount of $1,150 in add-ons.
The final champion lots included Noble Twp.'s Aubrey Rothenbuhler and Jefferson Twp.'s Maggie Roberts. Rothenbuhler grand champion market wether sold for $1,000 and received $895 in add-ons. Roberts' reserve champion market doe then earned an $800 premium bid along with $905 in add-ons.
One of the day's biggest highlights came when Waylon Lawson, of Jefferson Twp., sold his champion chester barrow. The final bid of $4,000 surpassed the previous record of $3,810 set by Warner Ott in 2024.
The auction also provided an opportunity for several Noble County 4-H clubs and groups to raise funds for special projects and opportunities.
The Noble County 4-H Exhibit Corp. sold three lots consisting of five large square bales of hay each. This raised $1,300 to support fairground maintenance and improvements.
Representatives of the Noble County 4-H Dairy Club and Dairy Judging Team distributed bags of cheese and crackers to buyers and supporters. Ten-year member Adelaide Hopf told the crowd proceeds would help fund improvements to the dairy barn, including a new electrical system, leveling the barn floor and other issues that arise. Additionally, the funds would support travel expenses for the Indiana state champion dairy judging team as they prepare to compete at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky. for their national contest this fall. The group raised $1,465, including a $1,000 premium bid from the Moore family and $465 in additional add-ons.
The Noble County livestock judging team also addressed the crowd before they auctioned off a cooler of meat donated by Cedar Creek Meats. Reid Barker explained that the proceeds would help cover travel expenses as the team prepared to compete at the American Royal National 4-H Livestock Judging Contest in Kansas City, after receiving top honors at the 2026 Indiana State Livestock Judging Contest. The lot sold for $2,000 and received an additional $1,440 in add-ons.
Miss Noble County 2026 Rothenbuhler participated in the traditional sale of the Queen's Kiss, accompanied by a pie for the buyers. As a 10-year 4-H member involved in the swine, sheep, and meat goat projects, Rothenbuhler shared that choosing which club to support was difficult. She ultimately announced that half of the proceeds would be donated to the Noble County meat goat club. A buyer's group, including Grandpa and Grandma Rothenbuhler, Ott Show Cattle, Weber Livestock, Arrow Creek Farms and Community State Bank, purchased the queen's kiss for $550, while another $415 was contributed in the form of add-ons.
The auction concluded with Jefferson Twp.'s Olivia Smith selling her Single Fryer Meat Rabbit. Just as the day's events appeared to be winding down, John Wicker of J&B Specialty, J&B Medical, and J&B International surprised the crowd with a final bid of $2,026. This sale not only established a new auction record for a rabbit club exhibitor, but it also served as a tribute to the 2026 Noble County Fair and the remarkable support this community shows for its local 4-H members.
As the final gavel fell, the 2026 Noble County 4-H Livestock Auction came to a close, serving as a reminder of the unwavering generosity and support of Noble County's businesses, families and supporters. Through premium bids and a multitude of additional add-ons, community members invested more than $203,000 in the county's youth, ensuring that the tradition of Noble County 4-H continues to thrive in the future.
Return to Top of Page