(SEDALIA, Mo.) – Gage Baker, son of Rhad and Leah Baker, is the exhibitor of the 2019 Grand Champion Market Steer at the Missouri State Fair. Gage is from Fulton, and is a member of the Rising Sun 4-H Club. Gage’s prize-winning Crossbred market steer weighed 1325 pounds.
The Reserve Grand Champion Market Steer honor went to Mikaela Rojas of New Boston. She is the daughter of Bryon and Alicia Rojas and is a member of the Shelby/ Linn County 4-H Club. Mikaela’s Crossbred market steer weighed 1350 pounds.
On Aug. 17, both Gage and Mikaela will sell their market steers in two of 12 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.
Many livestock 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, which will be held at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 17, in the Lowell Mohler Assembly Hall. The entire auction will be broadcast live by KMMO radio online; and by KRLI radio online and on their FM station 103.9FM; on KMZU radio online and live updates on their FM station 100.7FM. The auction will also be live on the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Facebook page.
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 $1,500 scholarships, one supreme $2,500 scholarship, sponsored by Sydenstricker John Deere/Sydenstricker Genetics, and one $5,000 platinum scholarship offered by YIA supporters were awarded to youth across Missouri. Since 1992, the YIA committee has awarded 648 scholarships totaling $684,000.
