Watch NBC4 Today’s team show a steer at the Ohio State Fair in the video player above.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The annual livestock auction at the Ohio State Fair saw more than $547,000 brought in, all to benefit the state’s youth in agriculture.
On Sunday afternoon at the WCOL Celeste Center, the auction set eight new record sales.
The auction sold the animals of 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) exhibitors who were crowned the grand and reserve champions in market beef, barrow, lamb, chickens, goats, and turkey as well as the grand champion Swiss cheese exhibits. In total, $547,500 was sold, with $421,500 going to the Virgil L. Strickler Youth Reserve Program.
For the first time, a reserve grand champion market goat was sold in the auction, selling for $30,000 to a group of buyers that included The Kroger Company, Huffman’s Market, Event Marketing Strategies, Faith Driving School, and Talley Amusements.
The highest price paid this year was $100,000 for the grand champion barrow, exhibited by Oksana Gossard of Allen County. The pig was purchased by Giant Eagle and Sugardale Bacon.
The auction was first held at the 1968 state fair.
Sunday’s auction also marked the last Sale of Champions for fair general manager Virgil Strickler.
“What a great, final Sale of Champions in my career,” Strickler said in a press release. “I am so proud of the junior fair livestock exhibitors who work so hard throughout the year to exhibit at our great state Fair and dedicate so much time to becoming a champion. They deserve this honor. I will forever be grateful to our outstanding buyers who make this Sale possible year after year and who went above and beyond this year.”
Strickler’s name was added to the youth reserve program this year to honor him as he moves toward retirement. Established in 1995, the Youth Reserve Program rewards the fair’s junior exhibitors participating in the Ohio State Fair. Before Sunday’s sale, the program collected $4,691,150 to distribute across more than 20 scholarships, outstanding market exhibitor and breeding exhibitor programs, and other 4-H and FFA activities.
The 2023 Sale of Champions results are below, with sales marked with an * denoting a record sale. In each sale price, the cap is the amount the exhibitor can receive from the sale, with the difference between the price and the cap being put toward the youth reserve program.
Grand Champion Market Beef
Exhibited by: Holden LeVan, Champaign County
Purchased by: Mark and Megan Kvamme and Family
Price: $80,000
Cap: $25,000
Reserve Grand Champion Market Beef
Exhibited by: Beckett Winegardner, Allen County
Purchased by: The Kroger Company and Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
Price: $37,500
Cap: $18,000
*Grand Champion Market Barrow
Exhibited by: Oksana Gossard, Allen County
Purchased by: Giant Eagle and Sugardale Bacon
Price: $100,000
Cap: $13,000
Reserve Grand Champion Market Barrow
Exhibited by: Logan Deel, Gallia County
Purchased by: Bob Evans, The Kroger Company, and Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
Price: $35,000
Cap: $9,000
*Grand Champion Meat Chickens
Exhibited by: Lilly Conrad, Hancock County
Purchased by: The Kroger Company, Gerber Poultry, and Ohio Harness Horseman’s Association
Price: $40,000
Cap: $7,000
*Reserve Champion Meat Chickens
Exhibited by: Natalie Fitzgerald, Cuyahoga County
Purchased by: Meijer Inc.
Price: $33,000
Cap: $5,000
Grand Champion Market Lamb
Exhibited by: Bailee Amstutz, Union County
Purchased by: Expo Services, Concessions by Cox, OKI, Inc, Schmidt’s Sausage Haus, NetSteady, and SP+
Price: $33,000
Cap: $13,000
*Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb
Exhibited by: Avery Rice, Trumbull County
Purchased by: Mark and Megan Kvamme and Family
Price: $31,000
Cap: $9,000
*Grand Champion Market Goat
Exhibited by: Braxton Method, Auglaize County
Purchased by: Mark and Megan Kvamme and Family
Price: $32,000
Cap: $8,000
*Reserve Grand Champion Market Goat
Exhibited by: Ethan Davies, Wood County
Purchased by: The Kroger Company, Tim and Glenda Huffman, Event Marketing Strategies, Faith Driving School, and Talley Amusements
Price: $30,000
Cap: $4,000
*Grand Champion Market Turkey
Exhibited by: Maria Henderson, Logan County
Purchased by: Mark and Megan Kvamme and Family and Bernie Moreno
Price: $45,000
Cap: $6,000
*Grand Champion Swiss Cheese – Produced by Pearl Valley Cheese, representing the seven dairy champions and two supreme dairy showmen
Exhibited by:
Grand Champion Ayrshire: Carli Binckley, Columbiana County
Grand Champion Brown Swiss: Elaina Lahmers, Union County
Grand Champion Guernsey: Savannah Thomas, Champaign County
Grand Champion Holstein: Colton Thomas, Champaign County
Grand Champion Jersey: Olivia Finke, Madison County
Grand Champion Milking Shorthorn: Madison Hesler, Adams County
Grand Champion Red and White: Lilly Ann Elsass, Auglaize County
*Supreme Showman
Week 1 – Exhibited by: Ruth Bambauer, Auglaize County
Week 2 – Exhibited by: Lillian Finke, Madison County
Purchased by: A.G. Boogher & Son, Inc., S&S Volvo, and Turn-er Green
Price: $51,000
Cap: $9,000
The 2024 Ohio State Fair is scheduled for July 24-Aug. 4.
For more information about the Sales of Champions, call 1-888-OHO-EXPO or 1-614-644-FAIR. On the Web, visit us at ohiostatefair.com.
