From an article in Sports Illustrated: Ultimately, no animal is worth such extraordinary prices. However, what these record-breaking sales represent goes far beyond the value of livestock, but the value of investing in future generations and the future of agriculture. The incredible numbers at these junior livestock sales go to show the collective support of communities around the youth and their future endeavors. Me again. So it's kinda like people who bid $10,000 on a dinner for four with a head chef at the Alzheimer Foundation Dinner. It's not worth that much, but the money goes to a cause you believe in.