The annual Flathead Livestock Market Sale Auction at the Northwest Montana Fair hit another record this year surpassing $1.2 million in sales.

Nearly 300 animals were sold at the auction on Aug. 19 at the Trade Center at the fairgrounds. This year’s sale total was about $250,000 more than last year’s sale which also marked a record.

This is the first year the nonprofit Flathead Livestock Sale Organization has overseen the sale.

Mark Lalum, general manager for CHS Big Sky/Mountain West and one of the organizers, said the sale went well this year and plans are in the works to make improvements next year.

“Having the structure we put in place for the sale is going to help us make the sale even better,” he said. “We had one individual focusing on the sale, which allowed us to start working on different ways to improve the sale.”

For sheep, Laila Sargent sold her grand champion sheep to Sargent Transportation for $45 per pound and Ryder Middlemist sold the reserve champion lamb for $30 per pound to Flathead Valley Les Schwab.

The average price per pound was $10.75 and the total value of about $86,000.

Jaci Pheifer sold the grand champion hog to Flathead Valley Les Schwab for $20 per pound. Olivia Druyvestein sold her reserve champion hog for $31 per pound to Whitefish Credit Union.

The average price per pound for hogs was $13.73 for a total of $671,790.

Carly Tranel sold her grand champion steer for $20.50 per pound to Flat Tail Ranch. Dillon Jewett sold his reserve champion steer for $9.25 per pound to Flathead Valley Les Schwab.

The average price per pound was $7.51 for a total of $459,297.

“I would like to thank the buyers for supporting the sale, it is only because of the support we have from the business community that makes this a great sale,” Lalum said.

The livestock organization is made up of volunteers along with a Flathead County Fair Board member, a member of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, the Flathead County Fairgrounds Manager, a Kalispell FFA Chapter advisor, and a Montana State University extension agent.

Fairgrounds Manager Sam Nunnally said he’s extremely happy with the entire process this year.

“I am confident that this new structure will ensure a bright future for the Market Sale to be around for many more generations,” Nunnally said.

Students who raise each animal get to keep all of the money they make from the sale and many use the money to purchase an animal for next year or start a savings account.

The annual sale has been taking place for over 47 years.