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

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[August 21, 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.

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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

 

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