Zander Ivey’s incredible run of success showing hogs at this year’s Fayette County Junior Fair continued Wednesday when he took the top prize at the market hog show.
Not only did Ivey win the overall grand champion award, his hogs also were named champions in the dark cross barrow and dark cross gilt categories, and reserve champion purebred barrow category.
After being named grand champion Wednesday, Ivey said the victory meant a lot to him, especially since it’s been a challenging and emotionally taxing summer for him personally.
“My father was in a serious car accident, so that was hard,” said Ivey. “I’ve been focused on training for these shows.”
The judge at Wednesday’s show, Willy Kirkpatrick, said the grand champion hog had “a distinct stoutness” and rare combination of qualities “you just don’t see very often.”
On Tuesday, the 13-year-old Ivey was named the overall swine showman, and on Monday he was named the champion senior breeding gilt showman, and he won the overall grand champion breeding gilt prize.
Another remarkable story that developed from Wednesday’s market hog show was the emergence of Drake Sharp, who won the reserve grand champion trophy in only his fourth year of showing hogs.
“It was amazing when the judge called my name,” said the 12-year-old Sharp, who is a member of the 4-H Fun Bunch. “I didn’t think it would happen, so it was just really exciting.”
Other standouts in Wednesday’s competition were third place winner Kylan Knapp, fourth place winner Cotey Payton, and fifth place went to Maya McCoy.
The division winners from Wednesday’s show were:
– Dark Cross Barrow: champion Zander Ivey and reserve champion Kylan Knapp
– Light Cross Barrow: champion Drake Sharp and reserve champion Cotey Payton
– Dark Cross Gilt: champion Zander Ivey and reserve champion Saylor Moore
– Light Cross Gilt: champion Lindsey Worley and reserve champion Emily Reeves
– Purebred Barrow: champion Maya McCoy and reserve champion Zander Ivey
The individual class winners from Wednesday’s market hog show included: Lena Steele, Cameron Casto, Weston Pettit, Zander Ivey, Maya McCoy, Kaden Bryant, Drake Sharp, Kylan Knapp, Drake Sharp, Kylan Knapp, Kaden Bryant, Zander Ivey, Sam Stoughton, Drake Sharp, Coby Hughes, Hannah Anders, Cotey Payton, Tyler Eggleton, Zander Ivey, Saylor Moore, Aiden Knecht, Audrey Craig, Emma Bower, Lindsey Worley and Heath Cockerill.
