Record sales and a huge surprise make for a great 2015 Sale of Champions
Griffen Jodlowski of Atlanta makes the list with Grand Champion Doe's Milk

[August 19, 2015]  SPRINGIFLED - Event raises $275,450 for junior exhibitors and state 4-H and FFA youth education programs - The Governor’s Sale of Champion has always been one of the biggest events at the Illinois State Fair and this year was no exception. The sale was moved to the Coliseum on the fairgrounds which provided a grand stage to highlight youth in agriculture.

This extra space was filled with guests who were ready to open their wallets to support Illinois exhibitors.

Two records were broken at the Governor’s Sale of Champions. The first record breaker went to the Grand Champion Barrow, exhibited by Dylan McCafferty of Sherman, IL. His barrow sold for $76,500 crushing the previous record of $25,000. The barrow was purchased by the CME Group. The CME Group also announced that they would donate $5,000 to each of the exhibitors at the Sale of Champions to attend the college of their choosing.

Another great surprise came for Taylor Donelson, who exhibited the Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Steer. Taylor prefers to name her steers after country music artists and this Champion Steer was named Scotty, after American Idol winner Scotty McCreery.

McCreery, who just happened to be performing at the Illinois State Fair the night of the sale, caught wind of this and surprised her by showing up at the Governor’s Sale of Champions. McCreery stood in the crowd of bidders to help root on Taylor, but to also help raise the bidding higher and higher. Donelson’s Land of Lincoln steer sold for a record $61,000 to the highest bidder, Governor Bruce Rauner.

The junior exhibitors who showed the champion animals receive 80 percent of the sales price. The remaining 20 percent will be equally split between the Illinois 4-H and FFA programs.

[Illinois State Fair]

SALE OF CHAMPIONS -  LIVESTOCK

Product	Exhibitor	City/County	Purchasers	Price
Grand Champion Rabbit Meat Pen Trio	Morgan Wilderman	Greenville, IL Bond County	American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois, Farmers State Bank of Mount Sterling, AgriVest Farm Management, Keith Parr	$4,500
Grand Champion Poultry Meat Pen	Jacob Hinshaw	Secor, IL McClean County	Ronald McDonald's- Marty and Donna Davis	$4,800
Land of Lincoln Supreme Champion Female Print	Andy Sauder	Tremont, IL Tazewell County	Prairie Farms Dairy	$3,000
Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Meat Goat Wether	Carlee Critchelow	Chandlerville, IL Cass County	Farmersville Pellet, Sunrise Ag, Sky Ride, Hummel Family, BRANDT	$4,100
Grand Champion Meat Goat Wether	Skylynn Flemming	Paxton, IL Iroquois County	Holder's Hill Meat Goats, Friends of Skylynn Fleming	$5,450
Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Wether	Cole Ellerbrock	Atkinson, IL Henry County	Land of Lincoln Breeders, Agrigold Hybrids, North American Midway Entertainment	$7,250
Grand Champion Wether	Trace Titus	Alexis, IL Mercer County	North American Midway Entertainment, Friends of Trace Titus	$8,850
Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Barrow	Grant Kiefer	Gridley, IL Livingston County	BRANDT, Friends of Grant Kiefer Meat Donated to the University of Illinois	$35,000
Grand Champion Barrow	Dylan McCafferty	Sherman, IL Sangamon County	Terry Duffy of CME Group, Herrin Fertilizer, Farm Supply Prairie Land FS/DeKalb Asgrow, BRANDT, Friends of Dylan McCafferty Meat Donated to the University of Illinois	NEW RECORD: $76,500
Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Steer	Taylor Donelson	Clinton, IL McLean County	Governor Bruce Rauner Meat Donated to the University of Illinois	NEW RECORD: $61,000
Grand Champion Steer	A.J. Line	Seaton, IL Mercer County	AT&T, Monsanto-DeKalb-Asgrow, Friends of A.J. Line Meat Donated to the University of Illinois	$65,000

SALE OF CHAMPIONS - ILLINOIS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

Product	Exhibitor	City/State	Purchasers	Price
Grand Champion Mozzarella	Foremost Farms USA	Marshfield, WI	George Obernagel	$800
Grand Champion Aged Cheddar	Foremost Farms USA	Marshfield, WI	Wm. Beck Auctioneers, Cory Craig Auctioneers	$650
Grand Champion String Cheese	Kraft Heinz Company	Campbell, NY	Lee Gaule	$400
Grand Champion Mild Cheddar	Shullsburg Cheese Company	Shullsburg, WI	University of Illinois (Dr. Robert Easter and Dr. Robert Hauser)	$700
Grand Champion Bacon	Main St. Meat Co.	Roscoe, IL	George Obernagel and Joe Hampton	$500
Grand Champion Ham	Thrushwood Farms	Galesburg, IL	IL State Auctioneers Association & Farm Credit Services	$750
Grand Champion Summer Sausage	Thrushwood Farms	Galesburg, IL	Lyle and Patti Lee Auction Service	$550
Grand Champion Processed Beef	AJ's Lena Maid Meats	Lena, IL	IL Association of Meat Processors	$600
Best of Show Illinois Wine	August Hill Winery & Illinois Sparkling Co.	Utica, IL	IL State Auctioneers Association	$950
Grand Chmpaion Honey	Jim and Karen Belli	Wadsworth, IL	IL State Beekeepers Assoc. RESALE: Fredrick Nessler & Assoc. Proceeds donated to Ag in the Classroom	$600 RESALE: $500
Grand Champion Doe's Milk	Griffen Jodlowski	Atlanta, IL	Former Representative Jim Sacia	$225