Illinois State Fair Junior Meat Goat And Poultry Shows Select Grand Champions

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Hummel family has captured its second straight Grand Champion Meat Goat title. 

Tara Hummel, 11, of Cabery, Ill., won the top prize Thursday night in this year’s Illinois State Fair Junior Meat Goat Show, one year after her brother, Dylan, exhibited the prize-winning animal. 

“It’s nice to be together with family and friends and have a good time,” Tara, a member of the County South Beef 4-H Club, said. 

Hummel struggled to control her wether in the show ring, but was confident about her chances.

“I knew it was between me and another,” she said.  “But I knew I was doing pretty good.”

The entire family could not have been happier when Tara’s wether was announced as champion. Her meat goat will be sold in Tuesday’s Governor’s Sale of Champions, an auction of the fair’s prize-winning junior livestock.  Proceeds from the sale will go into Tara’s college fund.

Taking the Reserve Grand Champion title was Kaitlyn Ryan of Viola, Ill. She is twelve-years-old and a member of the Country Kids 4-H Club.

Sixteen-year-old Jennie Foster will join Hummel in the sale.  Her Cornish crosses were selected as the 2012 Illinois State Fair Grand Champion Poultry Trio.     

Having been showing only for three years, Foster never thought she would win the Grand Champion title.  But she already had a few ideas how she would spend her winnings.

“There are a couple things I’ve been thinking about, either a nice guitar or a Farmall B Tractor,” she said. 

Foster is from Paxton, Ill., and a member of the Paxton Prairie Bluestems 4-H Club.

Bailey Hunt of the Green Meadows 4-H Club won Reserve Grand Champion Poultry Trio.  He hails from Sycamore, Ill., and is fourteen-years-old.