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MARIETTA - Eighteen-year-old Darrell Hague of Marietta will be selling his fifth grand champion market lamb since 2002 at the Washington County Fair today. Last year he had the reserve champion.

And bringing up quality lambs must run in the family as his cousin, 8-year-old Erin Hague, also of Marietta, took first place in junior showmanship on Saturday with the first lamb she ever raised.

"I started raising two market lambs in the spring, and this is my first year to show at the fair," Erin Hague said Monday.

She admitted raising the lambs was hard work.

"The hardest part was walking and running the sheep to help them build muscle," she said.

The animals being sold by Erin and Darrell are among 93 market lambs up for sale at today's Junior Fair large animal auction.

"This is my ninth year at the fair," Darrell Hague said. "And with the economy going down it's really great that the buyers still come and support all of the youth here. They all appreciate that support."

As a senior in the 4-H program, he is a mentor to younger members.

"If they come up and ask me, I'll help them out," he said. "I think that's important - the younger kids are the future of this program."

"Darrell really lives and breathes market lambs," said Eric Barrett, with the local Ohio State University Extension office in Washington County.

In addition to the 93 lambs being sold today, Barrett said 15 market steers and 52 dairy feeder steers will also be auctioned off at 5:30 p.m. in the large animal barn at the Washington County Fairgrounds.

"The number of steers is down this year, although dairy steers have remained the same, and market lambs are up a little bit over last year," Barrett said.

"And I don't think the current economy will significantly affect this sale," he said. "This is really an advertising expense for the buyers, and they realize this money goes toward college and other expenses for these young people.

"The sale is more about the project and the learning experience for the kids, and the prices aren't based so much on current market values," Barrett said.

Junior Fair Queen Arielle Gebhart, 18, said overall the number of large and small livestock is up this year.

"I think more young people are finding out about 4-H and taking part in the programs," she said.

Justin Perry, 18, is the 2009 Junior Fair king.

"I also think the quality of animals are better this year. We have some really nice dairy feeder steers and lambs," he said.

Junior Fair Board member Tommy Morris, 16, of New Matamoras, has raised turkeys for the fair three years in a row, and his reserve champion earned $410 in this year's small livestock sale Monday.

"I've been in 4-H for 10 or 11 years now," he said. "I've learned a lot and have met a lot of friends."

Morris plans to study agriculture and continue to work on his family's dairy farm.

Tanner Hamilton, 16, of Waterford, had the grand champion market turkey in Monday's small animal sales event. Her bird brought $330.

Today is the final day of the 2009 Washington County Fair. The schedule of activities includes:

* 9 a.m.: Junior Fair Dairy Showmanship (Cattle Arena)

* 10 a.m.: Junior Fair Horse Show (Horse Arena); Open and Junior Dairy Breeding Judging (Cattle Arena)

* 4 p.m.: Midway Opens

* 4:30 p.m.: Large Animal Buyers Reception (Multi-Purpose Building)

* 5:30 p.m.: Junior Fair Large Animal Sale (Cattle Arena)

* 6 p.m.: Demolition Derby (Grandstand)

* 8 p.m.: Exhibits may be removed

* 11 p.m.: Midway Closes.