St. Paris boy has grand champion hog for second time

Austyn Collier is bringing home the “bacon” for the second time in three years.

The eighth-grader from Graham Middle School sold his 273-pound grand champion market hog, “Hoss,” Thursday for $2,000 during the Clark County Junior Fair swine sale.

Austyn’s hog was named grand champion in 2011 when he was a sixth grader. That year his hog fetched $3,500.

Austyn said the money didn’t matter to him.

“Compared to what we got for the champion in 2011 that is low, but it is better than nothing at all,” Austyn said. Last year’s grand champion received $5,150.

Having a winning hog is a family tradition for Austyn. His mother Kim Nave won FFA Grand Champion in 1995 and her brother won 4-H Grand Champion the same year.

Buyers of the hog included companies such as Kroger, Peggy Sue’s Concessions, Trupointe, Collier’s Customizing and Fabrications, and Ryder Transportation.

The money from the auction will go toward various bills for the hog including feed and shaving bills as well as putting some of it away for college, Austyn said. His family operates Prime Time Show Pigs in St. Paris.

Austyn’s grandmother Tammi Evans was diagnosed with cancer this year and they dedicated their showings at the fair season to her.

“She want wanted it to keep going, she didn’t want us to stop doing what we were doing even though she it fighting right now,”said Austyn’s mother.

Austyn credited his family, including his grandparents, mother, stepfather, and brothers, as being big contributors to his success.

“I have no doubt that they would be there for me,” Austyn said. “It’s not me, it’s the family that won grand champion.”

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