It is fitting that the Dixie National Sale of Junior Champions takes place every year on the week of the Super Bowl. Why, you ask? Because the Dixie National Livestock Show is the culmination of all the hard work for Mississippi youth who show livestock. They have been working all year for this moment.

“The Sale of Champions is as far as you can go. Only the best of the best make it to the sale,” said Drew Wagner, a Newton County 4-H and Newton FFA member.

For the 53rd year, the winners of each class of livestock earned the chance to auction off their animal. The money raised from each animal went directly to the student who trained and cared for their animal.

And just like if your team makes it to the Super Bowl, the competition is fierce. The 4-H and FFA members exhibiting in the Sale of Champions competed in county and district shows against more than 2,500 students.

Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation President Mike McCormick said he is proud to support this event and these students each year because he knows how hard they’ve worked to get here.

“The kids have worked so hard this year getting ready for this day,” McCormick said. “They made sure their animals are taken care of before they go to school in the morning and after they come home in the afternoon. Their weekends are devoted to working with their animals. As a bidder, Farm Bureau is always ready to reward them with some money they can use for scholarships.”

For this year’s champions and those who have won in years past, the benefits to their futures outweigh the hours of hard work to make it here.

Chase Boone (Raleigh High School): “Showing livestock has taught me a lot of lessons,” said Chase Boone, a Smith County 4-H and Raleigh FFA member. “One of the main ones being – if you do the right thing and you work hard, you’ll always be successful.”

This year, the Dixie National Sale of Champions awarded 39 scholarships, totaling more than $60,000. For most of these hard working students, these scholarships allow them to pursue higher education.

“Most of my winnings go toward my school fund,” Wagner said. “But, this experience is about more than the scholarships. It’s about the people you meet. They’ll help you out the rest of your life.”

McCormick believes this process grows well-rounded people who will one day lead this state.

“The leaders of Farm Bureau and leaders of this state will come out of this sale ring,” he said. “These students have strong work ethics and leadership skills, so I know they will all lead their communities in some way in the future.”