Post

Sale of Champions raises $264,000

Started in 1968 as a way to encourage 4-H and FFA members to exhibit livestock at the Ohio State Fair, the Ohio State Fair Sale of Champions continues to reward Junior Fair exhibitors. 

When the final gavel fell on Sunday, August 9, the 48^th Ohio State Fair Sale of Champions raised $264,000.  

Paige Pence of Clark County sold her Grand Champion Market Goat for $17,500. For Paige having a Grand Champion at the Ohio State Fair was a lesson learned. 

“That I shouldn’t give up and that I should keep working hard every day because that’s what it took to be able to accomplish this,” Paige said. 

Audio: Paige Pence, Clark County, Grand Champion Market Goat

Troy Elwer of Allen County says it wasn’t until just before the fair that he thought he had a pretty good barrow. 

“Well, when we bought him he was still pretty green and little, he was just alright,” Troy said. “About a month before the fair he started to change quite a bit, I looked at dad and said, “Wow, he could be pretty good.” 

The sophomore at Delphos St. John’s sold his Grand Champion Barrow for $42,000. 

Audio: Troy Elwer, Allen County, Grand Champion Barrow

For Tyler Clark of Miami County having the Grand Champion Steer at the Ohio State Fair was really special. 

“My family has been showing here for 46 years and this is the first we’ve won Grand Champion and it was my last time in the show ring at the Ohio State Fair, it means the world to me,” said Clark. “It’s been a long road, we’ve had our ups and downs and we’ve been right there knocking on the door multiple times, I’ve tried to fight away the tears, but you can only do so much and seeing the family as happy as they are right now, it hasn’t quite set in yet, but I’m sure it will here before long.”  

Tyler’s Grand Champion steer sold for $50,000. 

Tyler Clark, Miami County, Grand Champion Steer

Bailee Amstutz of Union County sold her Grand Champion Market Lamb for $32,000. 

The 2015 Sale of Champions set one new record, the Grand Champion Swiss Cheese sold for $25,000. 

Junior exhibitors in the Sale of Champions receive a cap price with the remaining dollars going to the Youth Reserve Program. Since 1995 over $2.8 million dollars has been raised, benefiting 32,500 youth exhibitors. 

2015 Sale of Champions results:

Grand Champion Steer – Tyler Clark, Miami County – $50,000 (Cap: $22,000)

Res. Grand Champion Steer – Oliver McGuire, Champaign Co. – $22,000 (Cap: $11,000)

Grand Champion Barrow – Troy Elwer, Allen County – $42,000 (Cap: $10,000)

Res. Grand Champion Barrow – Ashton Dominique, Fulton County – $26,000 (Cap: $7,000)

Grand Champion Market Lamb – Bailee Amstutz, Union County – $32,500 (Cap: $10,000)

Res. Grand Champion Market Lamb – Logan Harvel, Fayette Co. – $23,000 (Cap: $7,000)

Grand Champion Market Goat – Paige Pence, Clark County – $17,500 (Cap: $5,000)

Grand Champion Swiss Cheese – $25,000 (Cap: $3,000)

2015 sale total – $264,000

Amount earned for the Youth Reserve Program – $189,000