Brice Randolph of Pleasant Hill with his pen of chickens that won Reserve Grand Champion at the 2025 Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. (Photo by Kyle Hill, KMMO News)
For the second consecutive year, the Missouri State Fair’s livestock contests begin with a middle schooler from Schell City winning top honors in the poultry barn.
Judd Lawson of the Osage River 4-H Club won grand champion in the market pen of chickens contest Tuesday, Aug. 5 at the fairgrounds in Sedalia, the first show that places live exhibits in the annual Sale of Champions. Lawson’s champion pen weighed an average of 7.1 pounds. A second pen brought by Lawson placed third out of the 30 pens exhibitors entered this year.
Placing in second was Brice Randolph of Pleasant Hill, representing the Hickory Grove 4-H Club. Randolph said earning his first trip to the Sale of Champions was worth the wait, which he says is his most enjoyable part of each contest.
Randolph says he’s also planning to bring show chickens to the fair, as well as several goats that he’s looking forward to exhibiting.
The next two entries in the Missouri State Fair’s Sale of Champions will be determined Wednesday afternoon at the Wether Goat show. The fair will officially open Thursday and run through Aug. 17.
Judd Lawson of Schell City with his pen of chickens that won Grand Champion at the 2025 Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. (Photo by Kyle Hill, KMMO News)
Top Ten Pens of Market Poultry at the 2025 Missouri State Fair
- Judd Lawson, Osage River 4-H (Cedar County)
- Brice Randolph, Hickory Grove 4-H (Cass County)
- Judd Lawson, Osage River 4-H (Cedar County)
- Lucy Lemaster, Shooting Stars 4-H (Lawrence County)
- Oscar Flores, Randolph Challengers 4-H (Randolph County)
- Avery Peoples, Polo Trailblazers 4-H (Caldwell County)
- Lania Morgan, Neosho FFA
- Lania Morgan, Neosho FFA
- Havden Duncan, Columbia FFA
- Blake Gates, Neighborly Community 4-H (Randolph County)