The Ohio State Fair Sale of Champions Livestock Auction is the culmination of the hard work of Ohio’s youth exhibitors in 4-H and FFA. At this prestigious event, the top market animals exhibited at the State Fair are auctioned to generous buyers, with proceeds divided among the reserve and grand champions and thousands of other State Fair exhibitors through the Virgil L. Strickler Youth Reserve Program.
How the Sale of Champions Works
The Sale of Champions is more than an auction; it is a statewide investment in the future of Ohio youth and agriculture. During the auction, buyers place bids on champion livestock exhibited at the Ohio State Fair. Exhibitors receive earnings capped at a set amount. Funds from the bids that exceed that cap are contributed to the Virgil L. Strickler Youth Reserve Program, which supports youth exhibitors, scholarships, leadership development programs, agricultural education and opportunities for youth across the Fair.
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Virgil L. Strickler Youth Reserve Program
Established in 1995, the Youth Reserve Program’s purpose is to reward junior exhibitors who participate in the Ohio State Fair. Program funds come directly from winning bids that exceed the cap placed on the amount an exhibitor can receive from the Sale of Champions. The funds are then distributed among scholarships, the Outstanding Market Exhibitor program, the Outstanding Breeding Exhibitor program, showmanship, skillathons, the All-Ohio State Fair Band & Youth Choir, 4-H, FFA, and other species and activities. In 2023, the program was renamed the Virgil L. Strickler Reserve Program in his honor, as he was instrumental in the fund’s formation in 1995.