MERIDIAN — The 31st annual Bosque County Hay Show was held at the Green (Home Economics) Building on the Central Texas Fairgrounds in Clifton on Saturday, Oct. 24, according to Stacy Dillard and Sara Ripley, co-chairs of the Bosque County Hay Show Committee. Sponsors were the Hay Show Committee, Texas AgriLife Extension - Bosque County in cooperation with Bosque County Commissioners’ Court and Bosque Soil and Water Conservation District.

Dillard said, “We again would like to express our appreciation to all who had entries in the hay show, Agricultural Science instructors in the county, and Hay Show Committee members who assisted in obtaining entries, Bosque County Go Texan Committee for providing the barbecue meal, Ag Science students from Clifton for assisting with obtaining samples of entries; George Alston, retired Extension agronomist from Stephenville for judging the hay, Gore Brothers Forage Testing Laboratory of Comanche for testing the hay; Central Texas Fair for the use of the building for the show; Joe Cooper, general manager of Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District – Bosque, Comanche and Erath Counties, guest speaker, providing information on “What is Next” with implementing the district in Bosque County, and businesses and individuals who supported the hay show, contributed door prizes, contributed auction items, and purchased hay and auction items to make the hay show a success.”

Businesses and organizations providing door prizes were: Meridian Ace Hardware and Briley Auto Supply of Meridian; Capital Farm Credit, United Country – Keith Morrison and Tonya Tunnell, Clifton FFA, and Walls Factory Outlet of Clifton; Low Dog Feed and Gap Tractor Parts of Cranfills Gap; Walnut Springs Lumber and Hardware of Walnut Springs, and Proconn LLC, Glenn Trimble of Stephenville.

Tommy Speer of Meridian won the $100 drawing held for producers who entered hay in the show.  Speer in turn donated the $100 to the Meridian FFA Chapter in Meridian. Keith Morrison of Walnut Springs was the recipient of the $100 for generating the most entries in the hay show. Morrison in turn donated the $100 to the Bosque County Hay Show Scholarship Fund.    

Grand Champion bale of hay entered by Kevin Bean of Walnut Springs (Champion of the Sorghum Class) was purchased by Whitney Underground Utilities of Valley Mills, Robert Senter of Cranfills Gap and Bosque Supply of Clifton for $1400. First Community Bank of Meridian, Clifton, Hico, Glen Rose and Waco, Bosque County Farm Bureau of Clifton and Bosque County Vet Clinic and Purcell Contracting of Meridian purchased the Reserve Champion Bale and Class Champion Bermudagrass Bale grown by the Rockin’ Diamond S Farms (Charlie and Tammy Stephens) of Walnut Springs for $900; Northwest Ranch LTD (Catheryne Wood) of Dallas and Cranfills Gap, and Rudy’s Fencing of Meridian bought the Champion Kleingrass Bale produced by Charley Aars of Clifton for $500; J Bar C Ranch (Charlie and Judy Blue) of Clifton and Fawn Valley Ranch (Joe Borden) of Cranfills Gap, bought the Champion Small Grains Bale grown by Robert Payne of Clifton for $400; Bar G Ranch of Cranfills Gap, Robert Schafer of Clifton, and Buchholz Ranch of Kopperl bought the Champion Native and Other Bale produced by Bar G Ranch of Cranfills Gap for $500;  Buck Thomason of Cranfills Gap; W. L. Penberthy, and Texas Rural Living of Clifton and Averitt Insurance Agency (Janice Merchant) of Meridian bought the Legumes Champion Bale produced by Ray Miller of Meridian for $600.  Keith and Brenda Finstad of Clifton, and Texas Land Bank (Justin Wiethorn and Steve Ostrom) of Waco bought the Champion Improved Bermudagrass Bale entered by Faye Prause of Valley Mills for $300.

J. B. Darden of Clifton bought (Lot 1) for $250. Robert and Ollie Evinger (Tablerock Ranch) of Cranfills Gap bought (Lot 2) for $250. Zack Gerik (Silveous Crop Insurance) of Aquilla and Evans-Langdale Cattle of Dallas and Morgan bought (Lot 3) for $200. Bruce Berg (Rocosa Ranch) Dallas and Meridian and Pasture Wise Management Services (David Bevels) of Clifton bought (Lot 4) for $250.  B. J. Shepherd and Meridian Livestock Commission Company of Meridian bought (Lot 5) for $200.

Following the purchase of the hay with proceeds going to the Hay Show Committee, businesses and individuals generously donated hay purchased to the Bosque County Hay Show Committee Scholarship Fund. Northwest Ranch LTD (Catheryne Wood) of Dallas and Cranfills Gap, and Rudy’s Fencing of Meridian donated the Champion Kleingrass Bale produced by Charley Aars of Clifton to the Scholarship Fund with Koehler Law Firm and Meridian Frozen Foods (Raymond and Rosemary Trujillo) of Meridian and Micobe of Meridian, Hamilton and Gatesville buying the bale for $300. They in turn donated the bale to the Scholarship Fund with Rick Douglas of Clifton and Bosque Centex Title of Meridian buying the bale for $250. J Bar C Ranch (Charlie and Judy Blue) of Clifton and Fawn Valley Ranch (Joe Borden) of Cranfills Gap donated the Champion Small Grains Bale grown by Robert Payne of Clifton to the Scholarship Fund with CLIFTEX Theater and Capital Farm Credit (Carol Fields) of Clifton buying the bale for $225.  They in turn donated the bale to the Scholarship Fund with Darlene Hall and Keith Finstad of Clifton and Wallace Control and Electric of Meridian buying the bale for $300. Bar G Ranch of Cranfills Gap, Robert Schafer of Clifton and Buchholz Ranch of Kopperl donated the Champion Native and Other produced by Bar G Ranch of Cranfills Gap to the Scholarship Fund with Wylie Basham Ranch of Clifton buying the bale for $250. He in turn donated the bale to the Scholarship Fund with Lawson Implement Co. of Hamilton and Phillip and Darlene Munden of Morgan buying the bale for $200.

Also, Buck Thomason of Cranfills Gap; W. L. Penberthy and Texas Rural Living of Clifton and Averitt Insurance Agency (Janice Merchant) of Meridian donated the Legumes Champion Bale produced by Ray Miller of Meridian to the Scholarship Fund with Lone Spring Ranch (Presley Mock) of Dallas and Meridian buying the bale for $250. He in turn donated the bale to the Scholarship Fund with Charley Aars of Clifton and Rallin Aars of Desoto buying the bale for $250. Keith and Brenda Finstad of Clifton, and Texas Land Bank (Justin Wiethorn and Steve Ostrom) of Waco donated the Champion Improved Bermudagrass Bale entered by Faye Prause of Valley Mills to the Scholarship Fund with Charley Aars of Clifton and Rallin Aars of Desoto buying the bale for $125. They in turn donated the bale to the Scholarship Fund with the Ray Walker Ranch of Cranfills Gap buying the bale for $100. J. B. Darden of Clifton donated (Lot 1) to the Scholarship Fund with Barnett Contracting of Waco buying the hay for $350. They in turn donated the hay to the Scholarship Fund with David and Margaret Winkler buying the hay for $25. They in turn donated the hay to the Clifton FFA Chapter.

Also, Robert and Ollie Evinger (Tablerock Ranch) of Cranfills Gap donated (Lot 2) to the Scholarship Fund with Tonya Tunnell (United Country) of Clifton and United Cooperative Services buying the hay for $200. They in turn donated the hay to the Scholarship Fund with Larry and Beverly Lawson of Meridian and R&D Seed of Cranfills buying the hay for $200. Zack Gerik (Silveous Crop Insurance) of Aquilla and Evans-Langdale Cattle of Dallas and Morgan donated (Lot 3) to the Scholarship Fund with First Security State Bank of Cranfills Gap, Clifton, Meridian and Whitney, Rodney Joy of Cranfills Gap, Drew Leigh and Tom Henderson of Clifton buying the hay for $440. They in turn donated the hay to the Scholarship Fund with Ronny Liardon of Clifton buying the hay for $100. Bruce Berg (Rocosa Ranch) Dallas and Meridian and Pasture Wise Management Services (David Bevels) of Clifton donated (Lot 4) to the Scholarship Fund with T-Ville Fertilizer of Turnersville and Gearench of Clifton buying the hay for $250. They in turn donated the hay to the Scholarship Fund with Robert Payne Agribusiness and John and Vickie Mitchell of Clifton buying the hay for $225.  B.J. Shepherd and Meridian Livestock Commission Company of Meridian donated (Lot 5) to the Scholarship Fund with W-4 Ranch of Morgan buying the hay for $100. They in turn donated the hay to the Scholarship Fund with Rowland Realty of Meridian buying the hay for $50. Rowland Realty donated the hay to the Clifton FFA Chapter.

The Hay Show Committee announced that 2009 Hay Show Scholarships were awarded to fifteen (15) Bosque County High School Seniors. The recipients were awarded $600.00 scholarships during their graduation ceremonies this past May to further their education. To date the Hay Show Committee has awarded 180 scholarships for $110,000.00.        

A print provided by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to the Bosque County Area Go Texan Committee was auctioned. The Bosque Soil and Water Conservation District bought the print for $600, and in turn donated the print back to the Bosque County Area Go Texan Committee.

Briskets prepared by the Bosque County Area Go Texan Committee were auctioned with Bob Viertel, Myron Harris, Danny Bird Trucking, Waco Cattle Express, Virgil Tindall, S&W Cattle Co. Chadco Construction and Steve and Sandy Hartley of Cranfills Gap, David and Margaret Winkler of Meridian, Bar G Ranch of Cranfills Gap, Ken Schrank of Meridian, and David Bevels of Clifton buying the briskets for $725. Meat trays (brisket and sausage) prepared by the Go Texan Committee were auctioned with Kevin Ripley of Clifton, Robert Senter of Cranfills Gap, Charley Aars of Clifton, John Lewis of Meridian, and Bar G Ranch of Cranfills buying the trays for $160. Peach Cobblers prepared by the Bosque County Go Texan Committee were auctioned with John and Debbie Moody of Mosheim, Kevin Ripley of Clifton, David and Margaret Winkler of Meridian, and Bar G Ranch of Cranfills Gap buying the cobblers for $125. The Red Caboose Winery donated a certificate for a private wine tasting for 10 people with Ken Schrank of Meridian being the successful bidder.

Co-chair Ripley said, “Thanks again to Jerry Smith of Valley Mills for serving as the auctioneer for the auction, The Clifton Record, Bosque County News and the Valley Mills Progress for publicity and all who made the 2009 Bosque County Hay Show a “big” success.