Lafayette County youth recognized at annual Dixie National Sale of Junior Champions

Published 12:30 pm Thursday, February 24, 2022

This year, 1,538 4-H and FFA members across Mississippi participated in the Dixie National Junior Round-Up Livestock Shows, showing 2,262 head of livestock.

These students competed for the opportunity to participate in the 53rd annual Sale of Junior Champions. The Sale of Junior Champions, one of the highlight events of the Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo, is a livestock auction where livestock exhibitors winning Champion and Reserve Champion in the Junior Round-Up Market Divisions sell their animals and scholarships are awarded.

“The annual Dixie National Sale of Junior Champions is a tradition like no other that provides our youth the opportunity to develop showmanship and life skills,” said Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson. “I am so proud of all the students from across the state who worked hard all year to raise these animals and participate in the 2022 Dixie National livestock shows.

Email newsletter signup

“We are pleased to announce that this year’s sale was the largest monetary sale in our history, and I want to thank all those that made this event a successful and record-breaking year. Congratulations to all of our winners and scholarship recipients,” Gipson said.

During the Sale of Junior Champions, several student members of the Lafayette County 4-H organization were recognized for their achievements: William Allen Flournoy, Reserve Grand Champion of the Lightweight Goat Show; and Ann Fleming, Taylor and Wilson Leflore, Grand Champions of the Mississippi Bred Mediumweight Goat Show, Champions of the Mississippi Bred Chester Hog Show, Reserve Champions of the Mississippi Bred Yorkshire Hog Show, Reserve Champions of the Mediumweight Goat Show and Reserve Champions of the Heavyweight Goat Show, participated in the sale.

The final Sale of Champions featured 46 champion market animals, including 15 hogs, 12 goats, 10 lambs and nine steers. The preliminary total sale was $448,500, breaking the previous record by more than $40,000.

The Sale of Champions Promotion Committee raised $61,500 in scholarships, including numerous $1,500 scholarships for high school senior exhibitors. This year, scholarships were awarded to 39 student participants of the Dixie National Junior Round-Up Livestock Shows.

For more information and a full event schedule on the 57th Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo, visit www.dixienational.org, download the mobile app, “like” the Dixie National Livestock Show & Rodeo on Facebook or call 601-961-4000.