Grand Champion, record sale for Karlie Kennedy

By Ryan Applegate

People’s Defender

For Karlie Kennedy of Adams County, winning Grand Champion Market Barrow at the 2025 Ohio State Fair was more than a trophy, more than a ribbon and more than a place in the record books. It was the pinnacle of a dream her family had been chasing for more than a decade — a dream built on early mornings, long drives, late nights, and the kind of grit that only comes from raising livestock year after year.

“It’s definitely not an easy thing to do,” Karlie said, still sounding a little surprised. “We’ve been working toward this for many years. Last year we were thrilled to be fourth overall, and this year, to come out with Grand Champion… I’m honestly speechless.” Her win is even more remarkable given the scale of the competition. Over 1,000 hogs were entered in the show, with 749 making it to the ring. Out of all of them, hers stood at the very top.

Showing livestock has always been a family affair for the Kennedys. Krista, Karlie’s mother, has plenty of stories that prove it, including one from just this past winter. “We started off Valentine’s morning. I left at three o’clock and drove straight to Iowa with a pig popper in the back of the truck,” Krista recalled. “A friend of ours went with me. We picked up four pigs from a farm in Missouri called Heimer Hampshires, then I drove straight back. It was a 19-hour round trip, but there was a window where the weather wasn’t below zero here or there, so I had to go then. That’s what it takes to get them home and get started.”

Karlie’s older brothers, Dalton and Fulton, also play an important role in the family’s success. Both work in livestock operations out of state — Dalton in Iowa at Rogers Cattle Company and Fulton in Indiana — but they return home each summer to help with the show animals. “When we were younger, it was tough just to win our class at the county fair,” Dalton said. “Over the last five or six years, we’ve built connections that made us competitive at the state level. That’s when we really started making an impact at Columbus. Last year we were fourth overall, and this year we won it.” Fulton agreed, adding, “We set big goals in the spring and worked hard together to achieve them. We never thought we’d win the state fair, but we were fortunate enough this year to make it happen.”

Karlie says having her brothers in her corner made all the difference. “It wouldn’t have been possible without them,” she said. “They’ve seen the world from different areas, and they brought back so many ideas and lessons. They’ve pushed me not just to be better in the barn, but to be a better person overall. Even when you don’t have success, you take that experience and use it to improve.”

Her mother has also been a driving force behind her development as a showman. “I’ve worked hard to make her a better showman than the boys were,” Krista said with a smile. “Some nights were rough, but they’re all very close and support each other.”

Karlie is a member of the Barnyard Kids 4-H Club, an organization she credits with shaping her work ethic and character. “Without 4-H, I don’t think I’d be the person I am today,” she said. “It’s taught me hard work, dedication, and trusting God’s plan. Sometimes you fail, but when you succeed, it means so much more.” Through showing livestock, she has traveled to states her parents haven’t even visited, building friendships and connections across the country. This fall, she will attend Iowa State University, where she will live with three friends she met through showing — from Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. “I’m excited — nervous, too — but ready to explore something new,” she said. “I can always come back, but I want to see what’s out there.” Having Dalton just over an hour away will make the transition a little easier.

This year’s win came with another milestone — a record-breaking sale price. Karlie’s Grand Champion Market Barrow sold for $101,000 at the Ohio State Fair Sale of Champions. She received $13,000 from the sale, with the remaining $88,000 going to the Virgil L. Strickler Youth Reserve Program, which supports 4-H and FFA youth exhibitors. “It’s exceptional when you think a hog might be worth $200 on the market,” said her father, Jon Paul. “This is the first time in our 52 years of showing that a Kennedy has walked across the Sale of Champions stage.” The sale was made possible through a partnership of the Ohio Farm Bureau, Bob Evans Farms, Nationwide, The Kroger Company, Schmidt’s Sausage Haus, NetSteady, All-American Quarter Horse Congress, Metropolis, OKI, Inc., and Expo Services. In total, the 2025 Sale of Champions raised $498,000, with $372,000 going to the Youth Reserve Program.

Karlie’s fair week didn’t stop with her hog. She also had an exceptional showing with her cattle. Her steer was named champion key and placed sixth overall in the steer show. She showed two heifers — one, a champion Kenya, was named reserve overall, and the other was champion shorthorn plus. “Everything she set out to do this year, she did really well,” Krista said.

For Jon Paul, the win carried a personal significance that went beyond the banners and the sale price. “My dad’s been gone 15 years, and people told me, ‘Your dad would be so proud.’ That means a lot,” he said quietly. The comment underscored that, for the Kennedys, this win wasn’t just about the animal in the ring. It was about family history, hard work passed from one generation to the next, and the bonds that hold them together.

From that first hog in 2011 to the record-setting sale in 2025, the Kennedy family’s journey has been marked by determination, teamwork, and a willingness to go the extra mile — sometimes literally, as Krista’s 19-hour pig-hauling trip proves. Their story is one of rural pride, of learning from failure, and of celebrating success together. And as the dust settles at the Ohio State Fairgrounds, they’ll head back to their Adams County farm knowing that they didn’t just win a show — they reached the top together.