State Fair of Virginia Sale of Champions raises $100K for scholarships, youth programming

The Oct. 5 State Fair of Virginia Youth Livestock Sale of Champions raised $103,100 for the State Fair Youth Scholarship Fund, which supports youths across the Commonwealth.

The 2024 State Fair welcomed 348 youth exhibiting market cattle, swine, goats and sheep for the opportunity to compete for scholarships and premiums at the annual event.

“I continue to be impressed by the community’s endorsement of our annual Youth Livestock Show and Sale of Champions,” said Marlene Jolliffe, the fair’s executive director. “Part of the State Fair Youth Development Board’s mission is to encourage and recognize Virginia’s youth as they participate in competitions and educational programs. The livestock shows and sale embrace this, and we are grateful to our committees, volunteers, staff and Virginia Cooperative Extension for their contributions to this very worthwhile fundraiser.”

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 and scholarships.

The sale featured the auction of grand champion and reserve champion market animals from this year’s 4-H and FFA youth livestock shows. Exhibitors received 55 percent of their respective animals’ purchase prices – 50 percent as a cash premium and 50 percent in scholarship funds.

The following are this year’s winners:

• Grand Champion Market Beef, exhibited by Landon Marshall of Augusta County and purchased for $18,000 by Brandt, Cargill Protein, Cinn-Sane Cinnamon Rolls, Corteva/DuPont Pioneer, Daltons on the Sycamore, Dick & Julia Rose, Dwight Houff, ETS, Glenmary Farms LLC, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Houff Corporation, Ironsides Animal Health, James River Equipment, Lynwood Broaddus, Marshall Farms, Middlebrook Farm, Mount View Farm Inc., Performance Food Group, Virginia Club Calf Producers and Virginia Grain Producers Association.
• Reserve Champion Market Beef, exhibited by Helen Katherine Farmer of Pittsylvania County and purchased for $25,500 by ADD Equipment, Blair Construction, BMB Steel, CFC Farm and Home Center, CRB Electric, Daltons on the Sycamore, First Bank & Trust Co., First Piedmont, Fords Foods, Halifax Paving, James River Equipment, Knight Cattle, Land of Promise Farms, Lester Building Supply, Matthews Sanitation, Pryoville Farm, Stallings & Stallings Farm, Virginia Cattlemen’s Association, Virginia Dairymen’s Association, Virginia International Raceway, Virginia Soybean Association and Watt Foster Family Foundation.
• Grand Champion Market Hog, exhibited by Raegan Dean of Page County and purchased for $16,000 by CFC Farm and Home Center, Charter Next Gen, McGuire Woods LLP, Smithfield Foods and Stallings & Stallings Farm.
• Reserve Champion Market Hog, exhibited by Landon Marshall of Augusta County and purchased for $15,250 by D. Thomas, Hog Slat Inc., Hog Wild Bar-B-Que, Land of Promise Farms, McGuire Woods LLP, Smithfield Foods and Virginia Pork Council.
• Grand Champion Market Lamb, exhibited by Emma Jo Donnelly of Clarke County and purchased for $7,000 by Woodstock Equipment.
• Reserve Champion Market Lamb, exhibited by Josephine Caldwell of Rockbridge County and purchased for $6,800 by Augusta Cooperative Farm Bureau Inc., CFC Farm and Home Center, Custom Construction Management, Everett Farms Inc., Pelican Joe’s Donuts, Pinson Novelties, Stallings & Stalling Farms, Virginia Beach 4-H Livestock Club Inc., Virginia Beach Farm Bureau and Virginia Farm Bureau.
• Grand Champion Market Goat, exhibited by Avery Deacon of Rockbridge County and purchased for $7,150 by Blackwater Creeds Foundation Inc., Ironsides Animal Health, K&R Concessions, Triple T Concessions, Virginia Soybean Association, Weller & Associates LLC, Wightman Crop Insurance and Wilmer and Peggy Stoneman.
• Reserve Champion Market Goat, exhibited by Evie Dudding of Craig County and purchased for $6,500 by CFC Farm and Home Center, Fun Time Foods, Gore Trailer Sales, Griff’s Catering, John Broaddus, Lakeview Tack Shop, Nutrien, Polar Bear Homemade Ice Cream, S & R Meat Goats, Sunny Side Farm, Two Kings Concessions, Virginia Soybean Association and Wilmer and Peggy Stoneman.
• Additional donations totaling $900 were made by Joe Guthrie, Tom McCall, Two Kings Concessions, Virginia Farm Bureau and Wilmer and Peggy Stoneman.