2008 Youth Livestock Auction of Champions set for October 3

The bidding will be fierce as local organizations open their hearts and wallets to deserving youngsters at the Youth Livestock Auction of Champions, taking place at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 3 at the Tom Thumb Sale Pavilion.

At last year's State Fair of Texas, Affiliated Multi Family Services, Inc. bought the grand champion steer raised by 15-year-old Meredith Larson of Pilot Point FAA for a record-breaking $94,000.  A group of State Fair of Texas Concessionaires paid $21,000 for the reserve grand champion steer raised by Taylor J. Shackelford of Prosper FFA.

Tom Thumb purchased four of the grand champions: top market swine, owned by Austin Crissman of Bells FFA, for $13,000; grand champion market lamb, owned by McKenna Bergmann of Kendall County 4-H, for $15,000; grand champion market goat, owned by Garrett Hancock of Randall County 4-H, for $13,000; and top market broilers owned by Reese Mathews of Elysian Fields FFA, for $13,000.

Money generated from the auction is divided among the young people showing the animals and the State Fair Scholarship Fund, which provides financial help to students across the state.  Since it began in 1992, the Youth Livestock Auction and Scholarship Program has provided more than $2.1 million in scholarships.

The 2008 State Fair of Texas operates September 26 - October 19.

Contact: Public Relations, 214-421-8715 or pr@bigtex.com.