Bexar County Jr Livestock Show
Auction of Champions
“How does it work?”
The following information will attempt to explain the procedures that lead up to the big day,
the Auction of Champions!
Overview
The Bexar County Jr Livestock Show (BCJLS) Auction of Champions is held each year for
the top 33% of participants. In other words, students who show their projects and place in
the top 1/3 will be eligible to participate in the Auction of Champions. Although the buyers bid
on the animals and the student receives the funds, the student will keep the animal for
participation in the other Major Shows such as San Antonio Livestock Show and Houston
Livestock Show.
Show Day!
The participant exhibits their project; they place their project and make the Auction Sale. A
picture MUST be taken with their placing project. The pictures are taken at the end of the
individual show classes. The photographer is on the grounds, usually around the area where
the animals exit the show ring.
If the participant has multiple projects entered in the BCJLS and they make the sale with
multiple projects, they must designate which project they will take to the Auction of
Champions. Only one project can be sold at the auction and the exhibitor MUST BE
PRESENT to go through the auction ring.
Pictures
The pictures will be ready the morning of the Auction of Champions and must be picked up
and paid for by the exhibitor. Have a picture frame ready because when the participant goes
onto the auction ring the participant will be holding this picture up for all to see while the
buyers are placing their bids. With the exception of the overall Grand Champions of every
animal species, the participant shows the picture of their project, not the live animal.
Please allow plenty of time in the morning to pick-up your pictures because there will
be long lines of every participant that made the sale wanting to pick-up their pictures.
Meeting before the Auction of Champions
At the end of the entire BCJL Show, the students that made the Auction of Champions, along
with their parents, will be instructed to attend a meeting the night before the auction. This
meeting will be held at the school and final preparations are made for auction day. Some
topics will be:
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The Booster Club will be the designated buyer for all James Madison students.
At this time, exhibitors can check to see if the boosters have received monies that
were expected to be mailed in.
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This meeting is where the Booster Club, parents and students determine what the
Boosters will bid on each student’s exhibit.
If BCJLS has the information ready, the participant will also be told what sale order
they are.
Along with any other questions the participant and their parents might have.
Auction Representative Buyer
Bexar County Junior Livestock Show requires that every entry in the Auction of Champions
must have a representative buyer. The AMP Booster Club will be the representative buyer for
all James Madison Students’ projects at the auction. However, students might line up a
sponsor who actually wants to be a buyer on the auction floor.
This year, for someone to register as a buyer, the registration fee is $300. The registration
fee can be paid the day of the Auction or BCJLS will bill this amount along with any other
auction bids your buyer makes. The $300 registration fee will give the buyer access to the
auction floor to be able to bid on the student projects. The registration fee is applied against
the total amount that the buyer bids during the auction.
Example (1): Your buyer pays the $300 registration fee, he/she bids $200 on your
project, the bill that the buyer is sent will show an entry for the bid amount of $200 and an
entry for the registration fee of $100 for a total bill amount of $300.
Example (2): Your buyer pays the $300 registration fee; he/she bids $300 on your
project, $100 on another person’s project, the bill that the buyer is sent will show the two bid
amount entries for a total bill amount of $400.
Point System
The Booster Club has earmarked an amount in our budget to bid on all animal projects that
make the sale. This bid amount is not designed to repay the cost of the project but rather it is
designed as a reward for the student for all their hard work raising and caring for their
projects during the year. Naturally, the different animal projects have very different costs
involved in completing that project. In order to fairly distribute the money among all of the
eligible students during the auction, we have a point system. The point basis is as follows:
Cattle – 4 points
Hogs, Lambs, Goats – 2 points
Chickens, Rabbits – 1 point
At the end of the show, it is determined which animals have placed, we add up the number of
points represented by these animals. As an example, let’s just say we had 5 cattle, 31 hogs,
10 lambs, 39 goats, 10 rabbits and 9 chickens place and be eligible for the auction.
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Animal
Cattle
Hogs
Lambs
Goats
Rabbits
Chickens
Total Animals that placed
Point Basis
Total Points
5
31
10
39
10
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104
4
2
2
2
1
1
20
62
20
78
10
9
199
As you can see, based on the 104 projects eligible for the auction, we have a total of 199
points. The booster club has budgeted $14,925 for this example. Dividing the $14,925 by
the total points gives you an average of $75 per point. For its bid then, the Booster Club
would bid on each animal $300 for cattle, $150 for Hogs, Lambs and Goats, and $75 for
chickens and rabbits. The amount per point will vary from year to year, based on the number
and the mix of eligible projects.
Soliciting Contributions
As you can see by the example above, the point awards are nowhere near the total breakeven cost of these projects. This is where the students have the opportunity to “sweeten” the
amount bid on their project. Each student should be out soliciting contributions from
businesses, doctors, dentists, friends and relatives.
We really want the students to use their own "style and imagination" in communicating with
their prospective sponsors. Some of the things we would suggest you include in your letters
and brochures (tri-fold type) would be:
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A brief introduction of the student and their purpose for involvement in their animal
project
An introduction to their project, including a picture of the animal and/or a picture of the
student with the animal
An explanation of how the donation from the sponsor will be used. (Scholarships,
Next Year's Project, etc.)
Possibly a brief explanation of the overall AG program
What the student communicates in every letter would basically be the same information.
However, the letters would probably be a little more personal to a relative of the student, as
opposed to a business. One caution that was expressed by the BCJLS Auction Committee is
that the student will want to have these letters appear as personally written as possible. The
student wants to avoid something that looks like no time was really spent on the
communication. You should be thinking of prospective sponsors and get these letters out.
Contributions You Receive
All of these sponsors have a choice of being a buyer at the Auction, or as previously
mentioned the Booster Club can be your representative buyer. If the Booster Club will be
your buyer they may send their donations, payable to Madison FFA Boosters in care of the
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student. The student will then submit the money to either the FFA Secretary, Jeanette
Crawford or they can submit it to one of the booster club’s officers.
Make sure the donations are clearly earmarked for that student. In the case of cash or
checks, submit it in a sealed envelope, with the student’s name and BCJLS marked on the
outside of the envelope. The Booster Club keeps track of these donations, by student and
they will be added to the auction sheet the day of the Auction.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If a donation is made on behalf of that student, and that student does
not place at BCJLS, that student can redirect those donations to any student they choose.
The redirection must be submitted in writing so the Booster Club can know where to direct
the funds. The student could also direct that the donations be placed in the general fund
where all students would receive the benefit. The student may also find a buyer who wants
their donation spread across all of those eligible for auction. We can accommodate that as
well. The funds may not be reimbursed to the student who does not place at BCJLS.
Keep in mind that the AMP Booster Club will be the first bidder on the bid sheet. There will
be other corporate buyers during the auction that may add funds to the total amount bid. We
try to get the totals as high as possible and can continue adding funds until that student’s
animal comes up for bid on the day of the Auction
Thank You Letters
Last but certainly not least, probably one of the most important tasks that the participant will
have, is sending thank you letters to the people that donated funds to bid on them at the
Auction of Champions. This task is important because you let the buyer know that you
appreciate their contribution (obviously) but also when you solicit funds for the next year, they
will remember that you actually thanked them the previous year. That is very important!!
A list of the buyers that bid on your project and their addresses will be provided to you after
the Auction of Champions is complete. When you receive this list, here is what needs to be
accomplished BEFORE your auction check is released to you. These thank you letters are
mandatory by the booster club and the FFA Chapter.
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Write a sincere letter thanking them for their bid and maybe reminding them what the
money will be used for (buying next year’s project, school tuition etc...)
Prepare the envelopes with the addresses but DO NOT seal them.
Take these letters to the FFA Secretary (Jeanette Crawford); she will verify that the
letters are complete and ready to mail. Seal the envelope, stamp and mail.
Once verified, she will release your check to you.
Then you get ready for next years project!
As stated at the beginning of the paper, this is an attempt to describe all the events that take
place prior to and after the BCJLS. If you have any additional questions, please do not
hesitate to get in touch with any of the Booster Club Officers or any of the AMP Staff.
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