With a full house, both in the seats around the sale ring as well as in the holding pens out back, Clinton County’s newest business held its opening ceremonies and initial sale last Wednesday morning, with hundreds of spectators and literally thousands of subjects.

The Blue Grass Stockyards, located in the Snow Community of central Clinton County, was officially opened last Wednesday morning, with company officials joining local, state and national government officials as well as hundreds of local farmers, beef producers and others related to the area agriculture industry.

The pre-sale fan-fare was brief and to the point, beginning with a quick ribbon cutting ceremony near the main entrance to the facility, followed by a handful of company and government representatives making short statements after the awaiting crowd moved inside to the sale ring.

Several people addressed the standing room only crowd that had gathered inside the new and technologically advanced sale ring auditorium, shown at left, including Blue Grass Chief Operating Officer Jim Akers, Clinton County Judge/Executive Lyle Huff and Kentucky Department of Agriculture Commissioner James Comer.

Then, within minutes, Akers announced it was time to dispense with all of the opening events and get down to what everyone had been waiting on since the first shovel of dirt had been turned at the facility site – the sale of cattle.

And sale they did. At just about 9:30 a.m. the first ring of cattle was moved through and from there the pace quickened and continued at a steady pace all day long.

By the end of the day, Blue Grass officials reported that some 1,501 head of cattle had moved through the facility in live sales, with an additional 3,800 head being sold through the facilities internet selling technology, bringing the first day total to 5,301 head of cattle.

The local facility will serve beef producers from across this entire region, including Kentucky and Tennessee, and will have cattle sales each Wednesday and Saturday, along with several special sales held throughout the year. Additional photographs from Wednesday’s opening events can be found on page 5.

With Blue Grass Chief Operating Officer Jim Akers standing nearby, Clinton County Judge/Executive Lyle Huff addressed the crowd on hand for the Grand Opening of the new stockyard facility last Wednesday. The first day saw the stockyard sell 1,501 head of cattle live, with another 3,800 being sold through the internet services at the facility.

Kentucky Department of Agriculture Commissioner James Comer briefly addressed the standing room only crowd that was on hand inside the Blue Grass Stockyard arena prior to the start of the first cattle sale. Comer, who is serving his first term as Agriculture Commissioner and is from nearby Monroe County, told the crowd it was “good to get home” to enjoy an event such as the Blue Grass grand opening.