At the Oklahoma Youth Expo, Farm Director KC Sheperd caught up with Blake Kennedy, CEO and Founder of Kennedy Ventures, to discuss the Night of Stars Gilt Sale, which will take place at 6 p.m. on March 19th at the OKC fairgrounds.
Last year’s sale hit record numbers, with 131 gilts sold for a record $1,259,250 (a $9,612 per head). The OYE and national record for a gilt sold was also set at the 2023 Night of Stars Gilt Sale at $92,000.
“This is an event that I always look forward to helping out with here at the Oklahoma Youth Expo,” Kennedy said. “We have got some changes. We moved our gilt show up a day and actually split some things apart.”
The videos of the gilts that will be featured in the sale are now live on the Kennedy Ventures website. To access the sale link and the lot preview, CLICK HERE.
“I truly believe that this year, this is the deepest and most quality set of females we have ever offered to the public from the Oklahoma Youth Expo in terms of breeds, dark crosses, and light crosses,” Kennedy said. “There is an opportunity for everyone to get a sale order, sit down, and study their way through the sale. It is going to be a tremendous night.”
Kennedy said the sale would feature 70 dark cross commercial gilts and 60 purebred gilts.
“I know every year we have continued to get better,” Kennedy said. “We have tried to do things to make the gilts more presentable, such as the videos. We have also moved venues this year.”
Not only has the quality of the gilts improved over the years, Kennedy said, but from a staff and sales perspective, the team is doing everything possible to market the gilts to the highest ability possible.
To read more about the Night of Stars Gilt sale, Kennedy said those interested can visit the Kennedy Ventures website or the Oklahoma Youth Expo website to get the latest information.
Kennedy Ventures is also posting information about hilts that will be featured in the sale on their Facebook page throughout the day.
Click here for the full schedule for the 2024 OYE. The Oklahoma Farm Report team will be snapping pictures from start to finish- and you can see them as we add them to our Flickr album for 2024- available here. If you want to look back to the 2023 OYE- click here for our pictures from last year’s event.
Our coverage of the 2024 Oklahoma Youth Expo is sponsored by Hilliary Communications. More than 60 years ago, the Hilliary Family acquired a small telephone company in rural southwest Oklahoma. Now in its third generation, the company has grown from a single exchange with just 100 access lines covering 22 square miles to now serving more than 19,000 customers in 22 counties throughout Oklahoma & Texas. The company also offers IP television service and internet speeds up to 1 Gig. Click here to learn more about Hilliary Communications.
