Illinois State Fair Crowns First Grand Champions In Junior Livestock Show

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The second time was the charm for the showman of this year’s Illinois State Fair Grand Champion Poultry Trio.  

James Banas, 13, of the Saratoga 4-H Club and his Cornish Cross Trio took the purple, first place ribbon at today’s show.  Last year, Banas had the Reserve Grand Champion Poultry Trio.

Banas said he is excited to have done well so far in only his second year of competition at the Illinois State Fair.  His Poultry Trio will be sold in the Governor’s Sale of Champions, an auction of the fair’s prize-winning junior livestock.  Banas, a Wilmington resident, said he plans to use the money to exhibit again next year. He not only shows chickens, but also sheep and swine.

Taking the pink, second place ribbon was Sam Shafer of Lewistown and his White Pekin Ducks. Shafer is a 19-year-old member of the Jolly Workers 4-H Club.

Banas will be joined at the sale by Kenzie Schlipf of the Dunlap Dynamite 4-H club.  Schlipf’s New Zealand Rabbit Meat Pen was crowned grand champion Wednesday.  Schlipf, 13, enjoys showing rabbits and pigs, but said her favorite part of competing is being with her family. Like Banas, she plans to reinvest the money from the sale into her rabbit project for next year.

The Reserve Grand Champion was exhibited by Mallory Munster of the LeRoy 4-H. Munster is 18 and also a member of the LeRoy FFA Chapter.

CRAIG CAMPBELL TO OPEN FOR LUKE BRYAN

Country singer Craig Campbell will open for Luke Bryan on Tuesday, Aug. 16, replacing Trailer Choir, which cancelled due to the illness of a singer. 

Campbell, a Georgia native, released his first single, “Family Man,” as part of a five-song EP in late 2010.  In part because of the song’s popularity, the recording charted in the Top 20 on iTunes.  His self-titled debut album was released last April and already has produced another hit, “Fish.”

The concert Tuesday begins at 8 p.m.  Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the Grandstand Box Office on the Illinois State Fairgrounds.  They also can be purchased on the internet at Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or visiting any Ticketmaster outlet.