Winfield ? Eleven sheep — including the grand champion and reserve champion — were found dead Monday morning at the Cowley County Fair after being electrocuted.

Two fans used to cool the animals are believed to have shorted out between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. The dead sheep were found when a parent of a 4-H member went to check on the animals around 7 a.m.

Fair board member Greg Dixon said the gruesome discovery cast a somber mood over the fairgrounds as people expressed sympathy for both the animals and the children who raised them.

“It’s a sad deal,” Dixon said. “I hate to see these kids lose an animal like this.”

All of the dead sheep were in the same row, touching metal pens in the sheep barn. The pens acted as conductors for electricity that surged through the building.

Dixon said it was fortunate that no people were in the barn at the time.

“It could have been a lot worse,” he said. “There could have been an individual in there who was electrocuted and perished, but there wasn’t.”

Soon after the sheep were found, fair officials went to the cattle and pig barns to warn participants to make sure their fans were in good operating order and no metal was touching metal.

“We’ve never had a problem like this,” Dixon said. “I’ve lost animals over the years due to heat, but nothing as tragic as what happened today.”

The sheep were judged Friday, and the top entries were auctioned Monday night at the annual premium auction. Five children whose lambs were killed took part in the auction.

Dixon said the auction was a reward for the participants’ efforts.

The owner of the dead grand championship sheep did not take part in the auction, but Derrick Fagg’s reserve grand champion — also killed in the incident — brought $1,150.

Last year, the fair’s grand champion lamb sold for $750 and the reserve grand champion brought $500.

The fair is not financially responsible for the loss of the animals, Dixon said, nor were the fans provided by the fair.