Sale of Champions hits $89,500 at 2026 Knox County Fair

MOUNT VERNON — Buyers rewarded youth exhibitors for their hard work to the tune of $89,500 in the Sale of Champions on Friday, with two Reserve Grand Champions nearly hitting the five-figure mark.

Addison McGuire’s 284-pound reserve champion market hog and Kayleen Small’s reserve market beef both went for $9,000.

A buyer’s group of Forman Realtors, Forman Realtors — Jennifer Farmer, Fredericktown Chevrolet, KN Excavation, and Fox Swim Solutions partnered to buy McGuire’s hog.

McGuire is from Centerburg and a member of Animals R Us 4-H. He also won hog Master Showman.

Small’s Asphalt bought Small’s 1,452-pound market beef. A member of Boots & Banners 4-H Club, Kayleen is from Fredericktown.

Buyers were generous throughout the sale, egged on by auctioneers John P. Ruckman, Dale Jagger, Dave McDowell, and Sam Jagger. Proceeds reached $89,500.

Exhibitors were also generous. Many, such as Kaleb Lamb, donated a percentage of their proceeds to various nonprofit organizations.

Lamb is a 2026 graduate of Fredericktown High School’s Engineering Academy. He is enrolled in the electrical engineering program at Central Ohio Technical College.

He will donate 10 percent of the sale of his market rabbit project to the engineering academy.

Following are the other results from the Junior Fair Sale of Champions.

Dairy market feeder

Grand champion: Ethan Swendal, Danville, Creative Kids 4-H; Alumni Roofing, $3,000.

Reserve Grand Champion: Gage Robinson, Fredericktown, Knox Cattle Kids; Knox Community Hospital, $3,750.

Pen of 3 market lambs

Grand Champion: Berta Gomez-Sica, Danville, Better Livestock4-H; JEC Livestock LLC, $3,00.

Reserve Grand Champion: Joseph Ball, Danville, Better Livestock; Kari Ball Agency, $5,000.

Market lamb

Grand Champion: Mason Reynolds, Mount Vernon, Animals R Us; All Weather Systems Inc., Granville Milling Company, United Producers, and Xtreme Sealcoating and Asphalt, $5,000.

Reserve Grand Champion: Kinsley Prosser, Fredericktown, Blue Ribbon Livestock; TK’s Ice Cream & Sweets, $4,500.

Turkey

Grand Champion: Brynley Kirkpatrick, Butler, Clear Fork FFA; Arena Corp., $2,750.

Reserve Grand Champion: Carl Dickerson, Fredericktown, Smokin’ Spurs; Raine Aesthetics, $3,750.

Market dairy steer

Grand Champion: Ethan Swendal, Danville, Creative Kids 4-H; Didinger Crop Service, $3,500. Critter Hospital, $3,500.

Reserve Grand Champion: Ethan Swendal, Danville, Creative Kids 4-H; Killbuck Savings Bank Howard, Makers Family, Swendal & Son Trucking, $5,500.

Market goat

Grand Champion: Nash Stull, Fredericktown, Country Critters; Knox Community Hospital, $3,500.

Reserve Grand Champion: Taylor Meade, Warsaw, Danville FFA; Nick and Stephanie Blanchard, $3,500.

Broilers

Grand Champion: Daisy Cline, Howard, Contender’s 4-H; Park National Bank, $4,500.

Reserve Grand Champion: Abigail Untied, Walhonding, Clinton Clovers 4-H; Trillium Farms,$3,500.

Market hog

Grand Champion: Carder McConachie, Mount Vernon, Blue Ribbon Livestock; TD Landscape, $4,250.

Reserve Champion: Addison McGuire, Centerburg, Animals R Us; Forman Realtors, Forman Realtors—Jennifer Farmer, Fredericktown Chevrolet, KN Excavation, and Fox Swim Solutions, $9,000.