WINDSOR —  Audrey Wacome, 10, has spent the past year and a half getting Gunter ready for this moment — the moment he is sold at the Windsor Fair.

She brushed him, fed him, got up early to take care of him, and now she will have to say goodbye to him as he gets auctioned off on the last day of the fair.

Wacome lives on a farm in Caanan and has shown steers her entire life, since she was in her mother’s arms, but it never gets easier, she said.

“You get so attached you go into tears afterwards,” she said.

The 10-day Windsor Fair ended on Monday with rough estimated attendance of 125,000 people, said trustee and Fair Secretary Judy Ballard.

P.J. Clair, 19 of Fryeburg, center, leads his hog into the auction rings as Mason Rowe, 20 of New Vineyard assists during the Youth Market Sale at the Windsor Fair in Windsor on Monday. Hogs, lambs and steers were sold during the auction. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

The goal of the Windsor Fair is to promote agriculture Ballard said, who told the group of around 16 children at the 2024 Youth Market at the fair on Monday to think toward their futures in agriculture as they thank their family and mentors along the way.

Ballard may get her wish with Aubrey and her cousins, Elizabeth Wright, 11, Madelynn Wright, 10, and Mason Sargent, 9, who all had steers and lambs in the Youth Market and look to continue the family customs.

“You are the future of agriculture fairs and I want to see you talking to the next round of youth,” Ballard told them before the auction started.

The Youth Market is a way for children to gain a sense of responsibility, the cousins explained.

Aubrey Wacome, 10, stands at left in front of her steer, Gunter, along with her cousins, from left to right, Elizabeth Wright, 11, Mason Sargent, 9, and Madelynn Wright, 10. Emily Duggan/Kennebec Journal

They typically get their steer or lamb from their parents, but it’s up to them to care for the animal.

Interested buyers can make their way into the barn, where they are greeted by one of the young farmers who try to persuade the prospective buyer to purchase their animal.

Aubrey’s Gunter was born and raised on her family’s farm in Canaan, weighs 1,215 pounds and was mischievous as a calf.

Elizabeth’s steer, Duncan, is from Clinton, also raised on a farm, is calm, 1,125 pounds, is never mean, and if you run, he will go with you.

And Mason’s Hershey, a highly commended steer from Chelsea, weighs 1,103 pounds and likes to play around.

“Raising steer so far has been a great experience to teach responsibility,” said Aubrey. “We can’t leave them outside and we have to put them back in the pasture.”

When the auction started at noon, around two hours after the young farmers talked their animals up, Aubrey was up first with Gunter, a Grand Champion at the fair.

Around 100 people attended the Youth Market and the first item of business was to raffle off a box of Windsor Fair cheese.

Fair officials contracted Pineland Farm to create a sharp cheddar cheese using the milk collected from last year’s cows. It was being sold in the fair’s farmers market for $8, along with other seasonal fruits and vegetables, but in the auction a box of the new fair tradition sold for $500.

Haley McGee, 11, of West Gardiner holds her market lamb Snoopy while selling it during the Youth Market Sale at the Windsor Fair in Windsor on Monday. McGee said the 87-pound lamb sold for $4 a pound. Hogs, lambs and steers were sold during the auction.  Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

Then, the steers were auctioned off, then the lambs. All of the steers must be sold and are auctioned for a price per pound of live weight. Some bidders choose to buy an animal and donate the money back to the fair or to a food pantry. Or family members, like a grandparent, will buy the steer back.

Gunter, the Grand Champion, sold for $8.70 a pound for a total of $10,570.

“The money we received goes towards either using it to buy another steer or save it for the future, like college, or even a business. It’s a good way to get started with beef. It’s so fun to work with them, but it’s also wicked sad when they leave us,” said Elizabeth.

The cousins said they will be back next year at the farm and that they already have their steers lined up.