Pig sale to benefit county youth

By Sam Waller

The 37th annual First Impressions Invitational Pig Sale will christen the renovated Shackelford County Livestock Show Barn with 135 show pigs to be auctioned off

The longest-running livestock sale in the U.S., benefitting youth who participate in the county stock show, is set for Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 9-10. At 1:00 p.m. Friday, a ribbon cutting will be held to reopen the renovated show barn.

“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback about the barn, so we’re expecting a record crowd,” Shackelford Youth & Livestock Association board member Mike Parsons said. “We think the people who have been coming to and supporting the sale for years are going to be even more supportive once they get in that barn.”

On Saturday, entries will be placed at 3:00 p.m. Food and music will be available at 7:00 p.m., with everyone welcome.

Animals will be judged for placement at 10:00 a.m. Sunday with the sale starting at 2:00 p.m. Animals will be sold in the order they were placed in judging.

The sale will be webcast on Sale Ring.live.

“We’ll have an internet preview after we have our judging,” Parsons said. “Folks can bid and buy online. They have to provide transportation, but that’s usually something they’ve worked out before they bid.”

Parsons said the start of the sale is being pushed back an hour this year to avoid conflicts with other sales around the state.

At 9:00 a.m. Sunday, Ray Perryman of Short Round Ministries will conduct a worship service.

“Ray usually does church at bigger sales, and we were able to get him to come here,” Parsons said.