By CINDY LADAGE
Illinois Correspondent SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A steer named Yahtzee won the 2007 Illinois State Fair Governor’s Sale of Champions. Like the game the name represents, the steer had a winning combination for owner Nicholas Day of Lovington, Ill.
Day, 15, entered his 1,344-pound crossbred steer into the competition. He wrapped up the fair with a record purse of $45,000. Illinois Department of Agriculture records show this price surpassed the 2006 winning sale of $41,000.
“It’s a family affair, but this is our biggest win,” Day said.
He plans to divide his earnings three ways, 10 percent of the sale price will go to 4-H, another 10 percent will go to FFA, and the rest will be used to help pay for his college. Day plans to attend the University of Illinois to become a veterinarian.
A combination of buyers, including DeKalb Asgro Corp., Simmons and Cooper Law Offices, Battery Specialists and the State Bank of Monticello, made the winning bid.
Day was not the only big winner at the sale, Jazzmyn Whittier, 11, of Bloomington, Ill. sold her champion New Zealand White rabbits for $3,000 to Brandt Consolidated, Sky-Fair, and appropriately, Friends of Bugs Bunny. Whittier said she selected the New Zealand White breed because it is her grandfather’s favorite rabbit breed.
“I was surprised that it got nearly that high,” Whittier said.
She plans to save some of her earnings for culinary school, while using the rest for rabbit supplies.
Orion Samuelson, who is the agribusiness director for WGN Radio, has emceed this event for the past 45 years. He emphasized the event is for young exhibitors.
“It’s the Super Bowl for these kids,” Samuelson said. “They’ve been working since they started these as projects a year ago, and this is the final.”
This farm news was published in the Aug. 22, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. |
