Shurr Sweeps 4-H Sheep Show in Porter County
Published: Friday, August 28, 2026
Morgan Shurr swept the top awards at the Porter County 4-H sheep show in Valparaiso, exhibiting both the grand and reserve champion market lambs. During the Celebration Sale on July 30, she earned $122 per pound for the grand champion. That adds up to $17,934 for the 147-pound lamb. The reserve champion, at 152 pounds, sold for $20 a pound, adding $3,040 to Shurr's total.
With 282 lots sold, this year's auction brought in $764,097. Last year, 307 lots sold for $619.431.
Subtotals by species include; 47 beef, $316,363.12; eight dairy beef, $33,305.85; eight lots of milk, $9,800; 40 goats, $44,374.31; 14 poultry lots, $24,000; four rabbit pens, $9,000; 56 sheep, $81,843.90; and 100 swine, $245,409.82.
The grand champion beef steer weighed 1,370 pounds and was shown by Norah Grimmer, daughter of Brian and Hannah Grimmer. She walked away with a purple banner and $7 a pound ($9,590).
The reserve champion beef steer was a 1,260-pounder exhibited by Dallas Richey. The steer brought $6 per pound ($7,560) for the daughter of Gretchen and Shane Richey.
Caroline Malecki took home the top prize in the beef carcass contest, earning $10 a pound ($6,950) in the 4-H auction. Morganne O'Keefe, daughter of Kimberly and Mike O'Keefe, walked away with $3 a pound ($3,350) for her reserve champion carcass.
The grand champion hog was shown by Levi Klemp, who earned an impressive $22 per pound for the 281-pound heavyweight cross. That comes out to $3,102. Bryce Birky showed the reserve champion, which weighed in at 280 pounds. He earned $21 per pound in the sale, receiving a total of $5,880 from 22 bidders.
Blane Metzger sold his grand champion pen of two barrows for $4 per pound ($1,092). The barrows weighed 279 pounds and 273 pounds, respectively. Standing in the reserve champion spot was Jonathan Kraft. He sold two barrows weighing 242 pounds and 234 pounds for 75 cents a pound ($357).
Samuel Maxwell exhibited the grand champion swine carcass. He earned $14 per pound ($3,920) for the 280-pound carcass.
With the grand champion pen of lambs, Bella Birky received $2.80 per pound ($770). Her lambs weighed 140 pounds and 135 pounds. Jocelyn Byers was next with the reserve champion pen of lambs. She sold the duo for $2.80 per pound ($716.80). The lambs weighed 131 pounds and 125 pounds.
Dakota Compton and Deacon Kandel showed the grand and reserve champion lamb carcasses, respectively. Compton earned $15.50 per pound ($2,139), and Kandel earned $12 per pound ($1,164).
Tyler Nichols parted with his grand champion royale carcass for $20 per pound, earning a total of $2,560 for the 128-pound lamb. Jacob Fry was next with the reserve champion royale carcass. The 137-pounder sold for $6 per pound ($822).
In the milk sale, Elodie Spears sold a gallon of milk from her grand champion Ayrshire cow for $1,900. She also had the reserve champion Brown Swiss, which brought $800.
The reserve champion Ayrshire was shown by Abram Cable. He sold milk for $2,500.
Willow Wilson exhibited two grand champion dairy cows, the Brown Swiss and Holstein. She earned $1,000 from the Holstein milk sale and $500 from the Brown Swiss milk sale.
Kenadie Wilson was a winner in the Jersey show, with both the grand and reserve champions. Her milk sales were $600 and $900, respectively.
Rounding out the milk auction, Cody Boone sold milk from the reserve champion Holstein for $1,600.
In goats, Brinley Biggs showed the grand champion dairy doe and sold milk for $2,800 in the auction. Audrey Webber, the reserve champion, sold her goat's milk for $2,600 to a group of buyers.
The grand champion dairy wether was exhibited by Kenadie Wilson. She took home $700 after its sale. The reserve champion wether was shown by Dalilah Cable, who earned $190.90 in the Celebration Sale.
Ava Foreman walked away from the auction block with $2,100 after the sale of her reserve champion meat goat. The grand champion did not sell.
Fourteen grand and reserve champion poultry lots were sold at the auction. First up was Elias White's grand champion bronze turkey. It brought in $800. The reserve champion was shown by Lauren Wallace, who received $700 for her bird. Austin Wallace showed the top white turkey, earning $900 in the sale, and Lauren returned to the ring to receive $600 for her reserve champion.
In chickens, Andrea Lucas sold her grand champion broilers for $3,250 and her grand champion roasters for $1,250. Lucas Pettit earned $500 from selling his reserve champion broilers, and Kaleb Freyenberger unloaded his reserve champion roasters for $1,250.
Haleigh Peres sold a carton of eggs from her grand champion layer, earning $500. Elena Nielsen showed the reserve champion layer hen and sold a dozen eggs for $850.
Cash Terpstra and Hardee Kraft showed the grand and reserve champion ducks, respectively. Terpstra auctioned the grand champion pen for $5,000 to a group of buyers. Kraft sold the reserve pen to another group for $2,500.
Ty Boomer was the grand champion geese exhibitor, earning $1,900 in the sale. Willow Wilson took home $1,400 in exchange for the reserve champion geese.
In rabbits, Jasmine Stark sold the grand champion meat pen for $1,250 and the grand champion rabbit carcass for $750. The reserve champion meat pen earned $2,000 for exhibitor Tyler Nichols. Jonathan Kraft earned $3,000 from the sale of the reserve champion carcass.
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