Area Youths Claim Top Honors at Expo
Published: Friday, July 24, 2026
Michigan Livestock Expo numbers soared in relation to the heat for 2026, as 603 exhibitors loaded trailers and made their way to the Farm Bureau Pavillion for Livestock at Michigan State University July 7-11, making it the largest show since 2021.
Large exhibitor numbers set the stage for old records to fall, and setting new ceilings yet to break. A new high registration for goats was achieved at 163 head, and hogs surpassed previous entries at 646 head. Ninety-five cattle and 303 sheep rounded out the week's total counts.
The 2026 Sale of Champions also crossed new barriers, bringing in a record $327,250 in gross sales, up from $297,000 in 2025. Within species, the showcase market hog sold by Isaac Conn sold for $21,000 breaking the previous top of $20,000. Miley Poindexter's Showcase Market Goat also set a new standard at $16,000, $1,000 than the previous record.
The Sale of Champions, held last Tuesday, culminated the event, also marking the beginning of Michigan Dairy Days following the Michigan Youth Dairy Show. The auction features champion and reserved champion lots from each species along with six selected showcase lots per species. Each seller receives a capped portion of the proceeds with the balance going toward scholarships.
Exhibitors of the Champion Youth Dairy cow, heifer and showmanship winner walk their animals through the sale arena, each taking home a maximum of $2,000, and return home with their animals after the sale. United Dairy Industries of Michigan also contributes a mixed basket of cheese toward the dairy portion of the sale, with total dairy related proceeds of $47,000. Proceeds more than the allowed individual awards are returned to youth dairy programming and events.
Southwest Michigan youths had a spectacular year showing goats, sealing both the grand and reserve market goats, and contributing four of the six showcase animals to the sale. Jackson Aldrich, of Schoolcraft, led the grand champion market goat through the sale, which was sold to Greenstone Farm Credit for $7,000. Mason Trattles of Colon delivered the reserve champion goat to Meijer for $5,000.
Breanne Reif of Quincy sold her showcase goat to Greenstone Farm Credit for $4,000. Marshall residents showed up with the balance of showcase goats. Aubree Hughes sold her animal to Agro Liquid for $4000; Ellory Albrecht sold her goat to Koegels for $5,250, and Henry Van Hoose completed the transaction with Meijer and National Beef for a record high goat showcase price of $16,500.
Meijer Inc. and Michigan Farm Bureau paired to purchase Aiden Hathaway's reserve champion steer for $12,000. Hathaway is from Bronson.
Megan Brunke of Eau Claire sold her showcase steer for $7,000 to Robert Brunke Plumbing.
Meijer stepped in to make another purchase when they bought the showcase lamb owned by Natalie Albright of Coldwater for $6,500.
Species sales totals included beef at $89,000, hogs at $74,000, goats for $67,000, sheep at $50,250, and dairy at $47,000.
Top sponsors and buyers to the show and sale include Agro Liquid Fertilizer, Clemens Food Group, Ebels General Store, Foster Swift Collins and Smith, Greenstone Farm Credit Services, Hazekamp's Premier Foods, Kalmbach Feeds Formula of Champions, Keystone, Koegel Meats, Meijer, Inc., Michigan Agriculture Commodities, Zoetis, National Beef, Koegel Meats, Michigan Farm Bureau, MSU AgBioResearch, MSU Center for Regenerative Agriculture, National Beef and Zoetis.
Prior to the sale, Carl Bednarski, former Michigan Farm Bureau president, became the latest recipient of the Living Legacy Award presented by the Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship Fund.
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