Elaina Uthlaut saved the best for last on July 23.

The New Florence resident not only participated in her final Junior Livestock Auction, but she left the Montgomery County Fairgrounds as a Grand Champion.

Uthlaut earned Grand Champion honors for her 1,525 pound steer named Bug. The award brought a good ending to an eight-year exhibiting career for the recent Hermann High School graduate.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” Uthlaut said. “He just completely sprung on me. I want to give thanks to God. It’s an amazing way to go out.”

Uthlaut was one of 16 seniors from the Montgomery County area who exhibited at the fair for the final time. The others are Mason Bader (hog), Skylar Bethmann (hog), Gracie Cobb (hog), Kaylie Marie Davis (steer and hog), Colby Ellis (hog), Abbie Freie (hog), James Hans (rabbit), Garrett Jacob (steer), Wyatt March (rabbit), Melanie Mueller (goat), Baileigh Nichols (rabbit), Chase Queathem (hog), Malorie Schulte (rabbit), Braden Schutt (steer) and Seth Walton (hog).

Uthlaut was the only senior who earned either Grand or Reserve Champion honors at the auction. A year ago, she came up one place short of getting Reserve Champion in the steer category, placing third.

“I was expecting an easy year, go in the ring, show in and show out,” Uthlaut said. “I showed out for sure.”

This spring, Bethman, Cobb, Davis, Ellis, Hans, Nichols, Queathem, Schulte and Walton graduated from Montgomery County High School. Besides Uthlaut, Bader, Schutt, Jacob and Mueller also graduated from Hermann. Freie graduated from Wellsville-Middletown.

There were banners of each senior that were hung at Livestock Arena. Both Cobb and Walton exhibited at the fair for 11 years, longer than any other senior.

“It was so nice seeing the posters,” Uthlaut said. “I’m on the junior fairboard, so I got to see how they did that, too.”

Hans showed his rabbit close to midnight. He said he enjoyed showing at the fair for 10 years.

“It’s been fun,” Hans said. “I am kind of glad it’s over, though. I enjoyed it, but it’s been a lot of work for 10 years. It’s hard to get down everyday and make sure they’re all right, especially now that I’m older, I have to work, getting home at 10 o’clock every night and starting my day at 6 in the morning. It’s hard to find that time in between. You have to get it done, but it’s not easy.”

Hans, who is also from New Florence and plans to attend Ranken Tech next year, showed rabbits in all 10 years he went to the fair.

“They’re easy to take care of,” Hans said. “They don’t cost too much money to take care of. They’re mid to low maintenance. When it gets hot, you have to make sure they have water and food and ice bottles in there every once in a while if it gets really hot, like 100 degrees. We have them in a shaded area, so it’s a lot cooler there than it is in the direct sun.”

Uthlaut’s steer is a family raised animal from Bear Valley Farms. When Bug was bought by Uthlaut, he weighed 1,000 pounds.

“I guess I fed him a bunch over the past 6-7 months,” Uthlaut said. “He’s grown a lot. I chose Bug (for the auction) because he is sometimes a little annoying. He gets a little hungry when I feed him.”

Uthlaut plans to attend Montana State University this fall. Her cousin, Lila, who was crowned the fair queen last year, also attends college out west as she’s a student at the University of Wyoming.

“I will be majoring in engineering,” Uthlaut said. “My dad told me I can go wherever I want. I have some family out there and I love the mountains.”