DOSWELL (November 6, 2018)—The Oct. 6 State Fair of Virginia Youth Livestock Sale of Champions raised $88,825 to support the fair’s long-standing commitment to youth.
“This year’s fair saw an increase in participation by FFA and 4-H youth, and their skills and commitment were as impressive as ever,” said Marlene Jolliffe, the fair’s executive director. “Many of these young people are Virginia’s rising generation of agricultural producers and agribusiness professionals, and that bodes extremely well for both the industry and the commonwealth.”
The fair offers youth over $70,000 each year in scholarship funds through 4-H, FFA and vocational competitions and specific equine, fine arts and horticulture competitions. Sale of Champions proceeds support competition premiums as well as an endowed scholarship fund open to all youth State Fair exhibitors and an awarded scholarship program for youth livestock exhibitors.
The Sale of Champions featured auction of grand champion and reserve champion market animals from this year’s 4-H and FFA youth livestock shows. Exhibitors received 25 percent of their respective animals’ purchase prices—75 percent as a cash premium and 25 percent in scholarship funds.
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- Grand Champion Market Beef, exhibited by Houston Kibler of Shenandoah County and purchased for $18,000 by Virginia Club Calf Producers, Ironsides Animal Health, James C. Justice Companies, Delta Springs Farm, Glenmary Farm LLC, Seven Hills Food, DOTS Beef, Marshall Farms, Woodstock Equipment Co., Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc., Nutriena, Wilmer and Peggy Stoneman, Rabo AgriFinance, Bankers Insurance, Hethwood Market and Kibler Farms.
- Reserve Champion Market Beef, exhibited by John Thomas Heyl of Clarke County and purchased for $12,650 by the Virginia Soybean Association, Farm Credit, Western View Plantation LLC, DuPont Pioneer, Tiki Tea Inc., CFC Farm and Home Center, Cargill Animal Nutrition/Vigortone, the Virginia Cattlemen’s Association, the Virginia State Dairymen’s Association, Burgess Farms, the Virginia Tech Beef Leadership Council, Tidewater Seed LLC & Axis Brand, Houff Corporation, Land of Promise Farms, Blackwater Beef, Knight Cattle Co. and Dwight Houff
- Grand Champion Market Hog, exhibited by Kori Simmons of Augusta County and purchased for $16,000 by Smithfield Foods and McGuireWoods LLP
- Reserve Champion Market Hog, exhibited by Elliott Brown of Madison County and purchased for $14,000 by the Virginia Pork Council, Smithfield Foods, Hog Slat Inc., Land of Promise Farms, Kevin and Heather Newton and Pete’s Auction
- Grand Champion Market Lamb, exhibited by Ryan Gobble of Washington County and purchased for $7,550 by James River Equipment, First Bank & Trust Co., Triple T Concessions, Pony Rides Ltd., Porky’s, Quality Grounds, The Ringmaster, Ice Kream Mill Limited, Alan Hines/in care of Two Kings Concessions, Griff’s Catering, ETS, Lynwood Broaddus, The Gettin Place, Pelican Joe’s Donuts, Fords Foods, May Valley Club Lambs and Land of Promise Farms
- Reserve Champion Market Lamb, exhibited by Megan Perfater of Montgomery County and purchased for $5,700 by Brandt, the Virginia Grain Producers Association, Hog Wild BBQ, Strates Fine Foods, John Broaddus, Lakeview Tack Shop, Truck Enterprises LLC and Cowboy Circus
- Grand Champion Market Goat, exhibited by Camille Mitchel of Chesapeake and purchased for $7,750 by Weller & Associates LLC, Virginia Beach 4-H Livestock Inc., Virginia Beach Farm Bureau, Cargill Turkey Production, James C. Justice Companies, Pryoville Farm, Everett Farms Inc., Sunnyside & S&R Goats, Premier Club Goats, Land of Promise Farms and Mitchell Show Goats
- Reserve Champion Market Goat, exhibited by Megan Perfater of Montgomery County and purchased for $6,000 by the Virginia Soybean Association, Augusta Cooperative Farm Bureau Inc., DuPont Pioneer, CFC Farm and Home Center, Deere Horn’s Homemade Ice Cream, K&R Concessions, Iced Tea Lady & The Dude.com, Pelican Joe’s Donuts, DBA Elam Hill Farm, Champion Show Supply and S&R Meat Goats
Other sale supporters were E. B. Harris, Tyler Sheets, the French family, Scott Weller, Chad Joines and Little Meadow Farm.
The 2019 State Fair of Virginia will run from Sept. 27 through Oct. 6. Information is available at StateFairVa.org.
The State Fair is held each fall at its permanent home at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County and attracts 250,000 fairgoers. The event celebrates the best of Virginia’s past, present and future through scholarship initiatives, creative programming and a focus on the commonwealth’s agriculture and natural resources industries.
Contact Greg Hicks, vice president of communications, at 804-290-1139.