The Missouri State Fair Sale of Champions is one of the final events of the fair each year. The sale raised a total of $256,825 for Youth in Agriculture. This sale broke several records. For the local youth involved in the sale of champions:
Hadley Coats, the son of Shawn and Nichole Coats of Braymer, exhibited the Grand Champion Pen of Rabbits. He is a member of the Braymer FFA Chapter. His New Zealand rabbits weighed an average of 4.7 pounds and were purchased for $2,500 by Ribus Inc., Dr. Long, and MFA Incorporated, along with additional funds from Youth in Agriculture and hometown supporters. The record-breaking total sale value of the Grand Champion Pen of Rabbits was $6,344.66.
Connor Keithley, son of Chad and Betsy Keithley of Chillicothe, showed the Reserve Grand Champion Barrow. Connor is a member of the Chillicothe FFA Chapter. His 264-pound crossbred barrow was purchased for $7,500 by Climate Field View. Additional funds were provided by Youth in Agriculture and hometown supporters resulting in a record-breaking total sale value of $46,946.63.
Rylee Anderson, daughter of Brad and Lori Anderson of Chillicothe, exhibited the Reserve Grand Champion Meat Goat. She is a member of the Chillicothe FFA Chapter. Her goat weighed 88 pounds and sold for $3,000 to Edward Jones. Additional funds from Youth in Agriculture and hometown supporters resulted in a record-breaking total sale value of $15,012.08.
The Grand Champion Bacon, exhibited by Grant Owen of Carrollton, was purchased by MFA Incorporated for $1,600 and was donated to the Missouri 4-H Foundation.
Proceeds from the Sale of Champions go to the sale exhibitors and are used to award Missouri State Fair Youth in Agriculture scholarships.
