The annual Governor’s Sale of Champions at the Illinois State Fair brought together Illinois’ top youth livestock exhibitors, their families and industry supporters to celebrate excellence in livestock exhibition and invest in the next generation of Illinois agriculture.
For the seventh year in a row, Governor JB Pritzker and First Lady MK Pritzker purchased the Grand Champion Steer. Their $105,000 contribution secured the top prize-winning animal, which will be donated to Feeding Illinois and distributed to a food bank to support families in need.
“Every champion showcased at this sale represents countless hours of dedication, discipline and commitment from these young exhibitors,” said Jerry Costello II, Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. “The Governor’s Sale of Champions gives us an opportunity to celebrate these accomplishments while helping our young people build a future in agriculture. These exhibitors are the agricultural leaders of tomorrow.”
Grand Champion exhibitors, along with the Reserve Grand Champion exhibitors, will receive a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their animal. The exhibitors use the funds towards their college education or invest it back into projects for next year.
In addition to purchasing the Grand Champion Barrow, CME Group contributed $50,000 to the 2026 Governor’s Sale of Champions which fund scholarships, each worth $5,000.
The Governor’s Sale of Champions is supported through a partnership with the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The Meat Science Laboratory in the Department of Animal Sciences processes the champion livestock following the sale, with the meat donated to Feeding Illinois member food banks.
Illinois 4-H, the state’s youth development and leadership program, is part of University of Illinois Extension within the College of ACES. Through hands-on learning experiences, Illinois 4-H helps young people develop leadership, responsibility, and life skills, including many of the youth livestock exhibitors recognized during the Governor’s Sale of Champions.
Illinois FFA is a dynamic youth organization that changes lives and prepares members for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. Illinois FFA develops members’ potential and helps them discover their talent through hands-on experiences, which give members the tools to achieve real-world success.
Below are the results of the 2026 Commodity Auction and the 2026 Sale of Champions.
| Commodity | Exhibitor | Location | Purchaser | Price |
| Latin American CheeseQueso Fresco | V&V Supremo Foods | Cook | U of I College of ACES | $1,000 |
| Ice CreamStrawberry Ice Cream | Tillamook Creamery | Macon | McDonald’sMarty & Donna Davis | $375 |
| Ice CreamBirthday Cake Ice Cream | Hoffman Oberweis Dairy | DuPage | Joni Paaske | $500 |
| Small Curd Cottage Cheese4% Small Curd Cottage Cheese | Prairie Farms Dairy, Quincy | Adams | McDonald’sMarty & Donna Davis | $375 |
| Natural Unflavored CheeseSt. Pete’s Select Premium Blue Cheese | Prairie Farms Dairy, Davenport | Scott | Turner Farms | $300 |
| BaconHickory Smoked Bacon | Arrow Farm Meats, Rock City | Stephenson | Joe Hampton & George Obernagel | $450 |
| Bone-In HamSugar Cured, Hickory Smoked Bone-In Ham | Eickman’s Processing Co. | Winnebago | Illinois Manufacturers Association | $1,100 |
| Beef JerkyTeriyaki Beef Jerky | Turasky Meats | Sangamon | Cindy’s Livestock Photos | $550 |
| Snack SticksHoney BBQ Snack Sticks | Raber Packing Company | Peoria | Illinois Association of Meat Processors | $400 |
| Cooked BratwurstBratwurst with Cheddar Cheese | Meat Master Processing | Jo Daviess | Illinois Association of Meat Processors | $325 |
| IFS Wine ShowDos Hombres | Tres Rojas | Tazewell | Friends of the Macoupin County Fair | $500 |
| Honey | William Budd | Sangamon | Joe Hampton & George Obernagel | $650 |
| Goat Milk | Ava Crites | Champaign | Kevin CareyIllinois State 4-H Office University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $500 |
| Animal | Exhibitor | County | Purchaser | Price |
| Grand Champion Rabbit Market Pen | Payton McKittrick | Pike | AgriVest Farm ManagementChannel Seed Field Level AgSky RideNorth American Amusement CompanyEtix | $5,000 |
| Grand Champion Poultry Meat Pen | Austin Ater | Champaign | McDonald’sChampaign County Farm BureauKevin CareyBellflower Feed MillFriends of Austin Ater | $7,000 |
| Land of Lincoln Supreme Champion Dairy Cow | Wyatt Zehr | Livingston | S & S Farm ChemicalBank of Pontiac – Chris ClementMid-West DairyRyan Family FarmsBenjamin LivestockHeart of Illinois Holstein ClubJoni PaaskeMidland States BankDHIAFlanagan FertilizerGraymont Co-opKathy Brenner, Shevawn BrennerStephanie and Matt MitchellKevin CassadyLukach Seed AgencyNolan CreekSCI CorpSt. Louis Dairy CouncilSulzberger Tile and DrainageYoung FarmsFriends and Family of Wyatt Zehr | $20,000* |
| Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Meat Goat | Eva Lansaw | Morgan | Springfield PlasticsEdward TeefeyFricke Show GoatsJO Harris SalesPrairie Land FSPetefish Skiles & Company BankJessica Richardson | $5,350 |
| Grand Champion Meat Goat | Eva Lansaw | Morgan | North American Amusement Company | $8,250 |
| Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Market Lamb | Kashen Ellerbrock | Henry | SyngentaKeifer FarmsJO Harris Sales | $5,500 |
| Grand Champion Market Lamb | Kashen Ellerbrock | Henry | Cardinal Cattle Co.Gensini Cattle Co. | $14,000 |
| Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Barrow | Ashley Wiegand | Woodford | Becks HybridsGeorge Obernagel | $20,000 |
| Grand Champion Barrow | Ike Heckman | Putnam | CME Group | $25,000 |
| Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Steer | Brenna Dryer | Woodford | Brandt | $40,000 |
| Grand Champion Steer | McKlay Gensini | Putnam | Governor JB Pritzker & First Lady MK Pritzker | $105,000 |
***Courtesy of the State of Illinois***
