(SEDALIA, Mo.) – Ryleigh Witt, daughter of Tyler Witt, is the exhibitor of the 2023 Grand Champion Market Steer at the Missouri State Fair. Ryleigh is from Warrenton, and is a member of the Hawk Point 4-H Club. Ryleigh’s prize-winning Crossbred steer weighed 1,410 pounds.
The Reserve Grand Champion Market Steer honor went to Paisley Nelson of Platte City. She is the daughter of Blake and Ruth Nelson and is a member of the Platte County 4-H Club. Paisley’s Charolais Composite steer weighed 1,380 pounds.
On Saturday Aug. 19, both Ryleigh and Paisley will sell their steers in two of 16 lots offered in the Missouri State Fair Sale of Champions. Proceeds from the annual sale benefit both the winning exhibitors and the Missouri State Fair Youth in Agriculture (YIA) Scholarship Program, administered by the Missouri State Fair Foundation.
Many exhibitors will work toward earning a place in the ring at the time-honored Sale of Champions Auction. Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion Steers, Barrows, Lambs, Meat Goats, Pens of Chickens and Pens of Rabbits will be featured in the auction, along with the Grand and Reserve Grand Champion Hams and Bacons. The Sale will be held at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 19, in the Lowell Mohler Assembly Hall. The entire auction will be broadcast live by KMMO radio online. The auction will also be live on the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Facebook page and live online bidding will be available via LiveAuctions.tv.
Through the generous support of YIA sponsors and the Missouri State Fair Foundation, the Missouri State Fair is able to award scholarships each year to Missouri youth. Last year, forty-eight $1,500 scholarships, one supreme $2,500 scholarship, sponsored by Sydenstricker Nobbe Partners/Sydenstricker Genetics, four supreme $2,500 scholarships, sponsored by the Missouri State Fair Foundation, one $3,500 Sharon Topliff scholarship and one $5,000 S. Wayne Yokley platinum scholarship offered by YIA supporters were awarded to youth across Missouri. Since 1992, the YIA committee has awarded 816 scholarships totaling $968,000.
A complete listing of the 2022 YIA sponsors is available on the Fair’s website. A listing of the 2023 sponsors will be posted soon. Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor this year, or receiving more information about sponsorship, can visit the Fair’s website, or contact Chuck Miller at 573-881-3589, Rodney Heimer at 217-257-6182, or Chip Kemp at 573-239-0524.