Student entries make auction at 2025 Coryell County Youth Fair
By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press
Nearly 20 Copperas Cove students from Copperas Cove FFA, Five Hills 4H and Muddy Boots 4H made it to the live auction portion of this year’s Coryell County Youth Fair, earning over $19,950 in bids and add-ons.
The live auction was held Saturday, January 11, and featured 204 entries from 4H clubs and FFA chapters across Coryell County.
There were 19 entries from Copperas Cove students including:
Lane Ledger, from Copperas Cove FFA, who earned Grand Champion Broiler (Chicken).
Madison Wilson, from Copperas Cove FFA, who earned Reserve Champion Commercial Doe (Goat).
Xaira Canady, from Muddy Boots 4H, who earned Grand Champion 4 Class Rabbit.
Corbin Ray, from Muddy Boots 4H, who also earned Grand Champion 4 Class Rabbit.
Shaylee Velesky, from Copperas Cove FFA, who earned Reserve Champion Dark OPB (Swine).
Reed Hooten, from Copperas Cove FFA, who earned Reserve Champion Berkshire (Swine).
Hailey Lincoln, from Copperas Cove FFA, who earned 1st Place Berkshire (Swine).
Peyton Velesky, from Copperas Cove FFA, who earned 1st Place Medium Wool (Sheep).
Noah Haag, from Five Hills 4H, who earned 2nd Place Fine Wool Cross (Sheep).
Janessa Castillo, a CCHS senior from Copperas Cove FFA, who earned 2nd place Medium Wool (Sheep).
Lucretia Roehrig, from Five Hills 4H, earned Grand Champion Lamp.
Addison Price, from Copperas Cove FFA, who earned Grand Champion Yeast Bread.
Nicolas Haag, from Five Hills 4H, who earned 3rd place Fine Wool Cross (Sheep).
Cameron Lewis, a CCHS senior from Copperas Cove FFA, who earned 3rd place Heavy Weight Goat.
Cooper Anderson, from Five Hills 4H, who earned 3rd place Meat Pen (Rabbit).
Lana Ledger, from Copperas Cove FFA, who earned 4th Place Turkey.
Caitlyn Slatton, from Copperas Cove FFA, earned 4th Place Southdown (Sheep).
Mia Westover, from Muddy Boots 4H, earned Reserve Champion Machine Quilt.
Alexis Miller, from Copperas Cove FFA, earned 5th Place Medium Weight Fryer (Rabbit).
Throughout the week prior to the auction, the youth of Coryell County began bringing their projects, whether they were Home Economics projects such as photography, baked goods, woodworking and beyond, or Animal projects such as rabbits, chickens, goats, pigs and even steer, to the Gatesville Civic Center as part of the Coryell County Fair.
Saturday’s auction served as culmination for the Fair and way for the community to come out and show their support to the young competitors. Items that placed Grand Champion, Reserve Champion or 1st through 5th place in certain categories were up for bidding. The livestock project portion of the auction was a Premium Auction, which meant that the bidder was not purchasing the animal, but instead was supporting the student, who made a gift basket as a thank you to the bidder.
Keith Turner, the auctioneer for Saturday’s auction, opened the auction with a quick statement, saying that the experiences from the FFA and 4H programs and the County Fair were “instruments that we’re using to build the children to be leaders on tomorrow, to lead our communities, to take the places of these buyers, to come back and be the purchasers.”
He added that the sponsors of the County Fair, whose names were featured on the wall during the auction, deserved the support of their community.
“Because I will tell you, there’s no business school, there’s no rules of business that says every year you need to go to your fair and support your kids,” Turner said. They come here because they want to be here, and they know how good this program is, so with that said, I hope you’ll join me in thanking all of them for taking time out of their day to come here tonight.”
Becky Coward, the Coryell County AgriLife Extension Agent and head of 4-H Youth Development, said that each January, the Coryell County Youth Fair provides students with the opportunity to showcase the hard work that they complete on their projects year round.
“The Youth Fair is an excellent example of an event that fosters important life skills, perseverance and dedication in our youth,” Coward said. “They gain confidence, responsibility and strive for excellence in a competitive yet encouraging environment. By attending the fair and showing our support, we help the youth feel valued and appreciated. These young people have a bright future and will become contributing members of our communities. The fair board also provides an excellent example for the youth as all are volunteers who give of their time and talents to provide this elite, educational opportunity each year.”
Several businesses as well as community members came together to bid on the 204 projects up for auction, with the Gatesville Civic Center’s main room turning into a standing room only space at times.
More than a few of the Copperas Cove FFA students have been participating in the County Youth Fair for years, continuing the family legacy, like Shaylee, Peyton and Katie Velesky, whose mother, Tobie, showed her own animals for 11 years and is now a member of the Copperas Cove Buyers Club. Also a member of the Buyers’ Club is Tiffany Ledger, whose son and daughter, Lane and Lana, each showed and made auction as well.
Ledger said it was fun to see the kids get together and have fun with friends at the fair, with some of them only seeing each other once a year at this fair.
“Because my kids are interested in this, it’s just something I end up helping with, and I hate asking for money, but someone’s got to do it, so these kids get a little bit of money out of it,” Ledger said about being part of the Buyers’ Club, which solicits local businesses for sponsorships and donations to be able to bid on the projects of the Copperas Cove kids that make it to the live auction.
Lane Ledger’s project was purchased by Crawford Bower Funeral Home, which then freed up the Buyers’ Club to use the money that had been allocated for him to go to another Cove kid, she added.
Some of the businesses from Copperas Cove that donated to the Copperas Cove Buyers Club and made bids and add-ons possible include the following sponsors:
Platinum (any donation or purchase over $1,000): Cove Meadows Management Corporation, Crawford Bowers Funeral Home, Cove Plumbing
Diamond ($750-$1,000): First Texas Bank; Mid-Tex Paint and Body
Gold ($500-$749): Manning Homes, Copperas Cove Rotary Club, Belt Brangus- Brandon and Kari Belt, Clear Creek Construction, Atkinson Electric, Timber Ridge Homes
Silver ($300-$499): Judge F.W. Price
Bronze ($100-$299): John D. Bowen Construction/Precision Value Homes, Snead Carney Funeral Home, Land Exchange, Psi Delta Sorority; Lott, Vernon and Co., Jack Smith Realty, Integrity Rehab, Shawn Camp- Progressive Insurance, Richard Vincent State Farm, Extraco Bank, BSmart Electric, Phil’s Paint and Body, Camera Artistry Photography, Medical Arts Pharmacy, Ellen M. Kay, Town & Country Veterinary Hospital, and DPD- Dewald Custom Homes
Honorable Donation: Pacific Tanning