COLUMBUS, Ohio (WLIO) – Youth in West Central Ohio received strong support during the Ohio State Fair’s Sale of Champions.
The Braxton Method from Auglaize County's reserve Grand Champion market goat sold for $13,000 during the sale. Logan County’s Alivia Kinney’s Grand Champion Meat Chickens sold for $31,000. Shelby County’s Madison Shatto’s Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb set a new record at $36,000.
Milk from Dairy champion cows shown by Lily Elsass, Machenzie Topp from Auglaize County, and Savannah Thomas went into making the Grand Champion Swiss Cheese, which sold for a record $54,000.
The 2025 Sale of Champions raised a total of $498,000. Of that amount, $372,000 is going toward the Ohio Youth Reserve Program, which supports 4-H participants and scholarships throughout the state.
Local Participants in the Sale of Champions
Braxton Method – Auglaize County
Reserve Grand Champion Market Goat – $13,000
Alivia Kinney – Logan County
Grand Champion Meat Chickens – $31,000
Madison Shatto – Shelby County
Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb – $36,000
Grand Champion Swiss Cheese – $54,000
Made with milk from:
- Lily Elsass, Auglaize County – Grand Champion Holstein
- Mackenzie Topp, Auglaize County – Grand Champion Milking Shorthorn
- Savannah Thomas, Logan County – Grand Champion Guernsey
Media Release from the Ohio State Fair
COLUMBUS – The WCOL Celeste Center was full of high bids, higher spirits, and immense support for youth in agriculture across the state of Ohio during the 2025 Ohio State Fair Sale of Champions Livestock Auction.
With a grand total sale of $498,000, $372,000 will fund the Virgil L. Strickler Youth Reserve Program to continue supporting Ohio youth in agriculture and other involved in the Ohio State Fair.
“Making it to the Ohio State Fair Sale of Champions is a very difficult feat for each of these young exhibitors and their hard-work, perseverance, and commitment to agriculture was on full display this afternoon,” said Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds Executive Director Adam Heffron. “This Fair is rooted in agriculture, and we could not keep those roots strong without the incredible support of our generous buyers. To our buyers, we thank you.”
Several new buyers participated in the Sale this year including Vivek Ramaswamy, Fieldale Farms Corporation, and AgRevolution, LLC.
The Sale bill this year included grand and reserve market beef, grand and reserve market barrows, grand and reserve meat chickens, grand and reserve market lambs, grand and reserve market goats, grand market turkey, and the grand champion Swiss cheese representing seven dairy champions and two supreme dairy showmen.
While the junior fair exhibitors take great pride in raising quality animals throughout the year, the ultimate goal each year is to be selected as the grand champion. Grand and reserve champion awards are both immense honors for young exhibitors; and with the Virgil L. Strickler Youth Reserve Program and generous buyers, the reward benefits the entire junior fair program as a whole.
Established in 1995, the Youth Reserve Program was developed to reward junior exhibitors participating in the Ohio State Fair. In 2023, the program was renamed the Virgil L. Strickler Youth Reserve Program in honor of retiring Ohio State Fair General Manager Virgil Strickler, who was instrumental in the creation and implementation of the program. Strickler, who was general manager for 20 years, retired following the 2023 Ohio State Fair.
This year, $372,000 from the Sale will go to the program.
Funds for the program are made up of the dollars received over the caps that are placed on the amount exhibitors can receive from the Sale of Champions. The funds from the program are distributed among more than 20 scholarships, outstanding market exhibitor program, outstanding breeding exhibitor program, showmanship contests, skillathons, and many other 4-H and FFA activities. Prior to today’s sale, the Youth Reserve Program had collected $5,247,150: since its inception, supporting more than 46,470 youth. The purchases made by generous buyers during the auction are tax deductible beyond the market price of the animal and will be directed to the Youth Reserve Program through the Ohio Expositions and State Fair Fund at the Columbus Foundation.
The 2025 Sale of Champions results are as follows:
Grand Champion Market Beef
Exhibited by: Essie McGuire — Champaign County
Purchased by: Steve R. Rauch, Inc.
Price: $75,000
Cap: $25,000
Reserve Grand Champion Market Beef
Exhibited by: Annistyn Oszust — Tuscarawas County
Purchased by: Mark and Megan Kvamme and Family
Price: $55,000
Cap: $18,000
*NEW RECORD: Grand Champion Market Barrow
Exhibited by: Karlie Kennedy — Adams County
Purchased by: Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Bob Evans Farms, Nationwide, The Kroger Company, Schmidt’s Sausage Haus, NetSteady, All-American Quarter Horse Congress, Metropolis, OKI, Inc., and Expo Services
Price: $101,000
Cap: $13,000
Reserve Grand Champion Market Barrow
Exhibited by: Kylie Locke — Clark County
Purchased by: Sugardale Foods and Giant Eagle
Price: $45,000
Cap: $9,000
Grand Champion Market Lamb
Exhibited by: Jada Shroyer — Logan County
Purchased by: Faith Driving School, Event Marketing Strategies, Talley Amusements, Ohio Harness Horseman’s Association, The Kroger Company, and AgRevolution, LLC,
Price: $35,000
Cap: $13,000
*NEW RECORD: Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb
Exhibited by: Madison Shatto — Shelby County
Purchased by: Giant Eagle
Price: $36,000
Cap: $9,000
Grand Champion Meat Chickens
Exhibited by: Alivia Kinney — Logan County
Purchased by: Giant Eagle and Fieldale Farms Corporation
Price: $31,000
Cap: $7,000
Reserve Grand Champion Meat Chickens
Exhibited by: Ali Genter — Fulton County
Purchased by: The Kroger Company
Price: $13,000
Cap: $5,000
Grand Champion Market Goat
Exhibited by: Hayden Bryant — Ashland County
Purchased by: Steve R. Rauch, Inc.
Price: $15,000
Cap: $8,000
Reserve Grand Champion Market Goat
Exhibited by: Braxton Method — Auglaize County
Purchased by: Shroyer Sisters: Ava and Jada Shroyer, OKI, NetSteady, Schmidt’s Sausage Haus, Expo Services, All-American Quarter Horse Congress, and Triangle Talent
Price: $13,000
Cap: $4,000
Grand Champion Market Turkey
Exhibited by: Bryson Schutte — Highland County
Purchased by: Mark and Megan Kvamme and Family
Price: $25,000
Cap: $6,000
*NEW RECORD: Grand Champion Swiss Cheese - Produced by Pearl Valley Cheese, representing seven dairy champions and two supreme dairy showmen
Exhibited by:
Grand Champion Ayrshire: Audrey Sidle, Wayne County
Grand Champion Brown Swiss: Kelsie Britton, Ashtabula County
Grand Champion Guernsey: Savannah Thomas, Logan County
Grand Champion Holstein: Lily Elsass, Auglaize County
Grand Champion Jersey: Cam Cope, Champaign County
Grand Champion Milking Shorthorn: Mackenzie Topp, Auglaize County
Grand Champion Red and White: Lane Francis, Darke County
*Supreme Showman
Week 1 – Exhibited by: Carissa Pittman, Wayne County
Week 2 – Exhibited by: Lillian Finke, Madison County
Purchased by: Vivek Ramaswamy and Mark and Megan Kvamme and Family
Price: $54,000
Cap: $9,000
*Indicates new record.
2025 total sale: $498,000
2025 amount earned for Youth Reserve Program: $372,000
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.
