DOSWELL––The Oct. 3 State Fair of Virginia Youth Livestock Sale of Champions raised $90,000 to support the fair’s long-standing commitment to youth.
Restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the State Fair. But youth who exhibit market cattle, swine, goats and sheep still had the opportunity to compete for scholarships at a modified Youth Livestock Show. Despite challenges and changes in 2020, the sale raised more than in previous years.
The sale celebrates the hard work of Virginia 4-H and FFA participants, and auction proceeds benefit the State Fair scholarship fund and the fair’s continued support for youth across the commonwealth.
“With the challenges seen in 2020, it was a true joy and inspiration to have planned and executed a very successful modified Youth Livestock Show and Sale of Champions,” said Marlene Jolliffe, the fair’s executive director. “The show and the Sale of Champions benefited from the tireless work of our committees, volunteers, The Meadow Event Park staff and Virginia Cooperative Extension. Seeing the smiles on the youth exhibitors’ faces as they participated embodied part of the mission of the State Fair of Virginia Youth Development Board—to connect producers, teachers, leaders, industry and businesses—in an effort to offer encouragement and recognition to Virginia’s youth as they participate in competitions and educational programs."
The fair offers youth more than $100,000 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 applied 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% of their respective animals’ purchase prices—75% as a cash premium and 25% in scholarship funds.
- Grand Champion Market Beef, exhibited by Gordon Clark of Pittsylvania County and purchased for $23,500 by Virginia Club Calf Producers, Glenmary Farm LLC, DOTS Beef, Marshall Farms, James River Equipment, Farm Credit, First Piedmont, Watt Foster Family Foundation, CRB Electric Inc., ADD Equipment, Halifax Engineering, BMB Steel, Chandler Concrete Co. and Blair Construction.
- Reserve Champion Market Beef, exhibited by Mattie Eavers of Augusta County and purchased for $10,750 by Virginia Soybean Association, Ironsides Animal Health, Kibler Farm LLC, Frank Graves, Wightman Crop Insurance, BRANDT, Weller & Associates LLC, CFC Farm and Home Center, Virginia Cattlemen’s Association, Cargill Protein, Lynwood Broaddus, Lakeview Tack Shop, Champion Show Supply and Dwight Houff.
- Grand Champion Market Hog, exhibited by Talyn Armentrout of Augusta County and purchased for $17,000 by Smithfield Foods, McGuire Woods LLP and Cargill Protein.
- Reserve Champion Market Hog, exhibited by Leah Greiner of Montgomery County and purchased for $16,000 by Virginia Pork Council, Smithfield Foods, Hog Slat Inc., Land of Promise Farms, Kevin and Heather Newton, Mathias Brothers Inc./Chris Threewitts and CFC Farm and Home Center.
- Grand Champion Market Lamb, exhibited by Chet Boden of Frederick County and purchased for $6,500 by BRANDT, Keith Simmons and family, First Bank & Trust Company, Gore Trailer Sales, Virginia Beach Farm Bureau, CFC Farm and Home Center, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Houff Corporation, and Jon and Joyce Miller.
- Reserve Champion Market Lamb, exhibited by Kori Simmons of Augusta County and purchased for $5,125 by Cargill Protein, Virginia Grain Producers Association, Virginia Farm Bureau, Augusta Cooperative Farm Bureau Inc., Nutrien Ag Solutions, Wilmer and Peggy Stoneman, John Broaddus and Little Meadow Farm.
- Grand Champion Market Goat, exhibited by Kayla Lippert of Orange County and purchased for $5,875 by DuPont Pioneer, CFC Farm and Home Center, Pryoville Farm, Everett Farms Inc., Fords Foods, and Stallings & Stallings Farms.
- Reserve Champion Market Goat, exhibited by Camille Mitchell of Virginia Beach and purchased for $5,250 by Virginia Soybean Association, Land of Promise Farms, Ironsides Animal Health, Houff Corporation, S&R Meat Goats and Sunnyside Farms.
The 2021 State Fair of Virginia will run from Sept. 24 through Oct. 3. 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 more than 200,000 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.
Media: Contact Pam Wiley, director of VFBF communications, at 804-291-6315.