What’s better than winning the Grand Champion Steer honor at the Champaign County Fair?
Winning it two years in a row.
Cable resident Colby Watson, 16, won the 2016 Grand Champion Steer award at the fair Wednesday. Watson was excited to win the award again after last year’s success.
“I feel pretty good, pretty pumped,” he said.
Watson said he grew up watching his brother raise and show cows, so it was only natural he would do the same.
“Cows are my favorite to show. It’s what I’ve been raised to do,” he said.
But he doesn’t stick to just cows – Watson also showed a scramble steer and a barrow this year. The steer won Reserve Grand Champion and the Barrow won Division 2 FFA.
The secret to his success: hard work.
Watson also plays basketball in his free time.
The 2016 Reserve Grand Champion winner this year is Mechanicsburg resident Taylor Ayars. The 14-year-old decided to do a steer project this year after talking with her FFA advisor.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” she said about her win. “The hard work paid off. I’m going to relax and enjoy it.”
Ayars said she has shown heifers before at the fair, but that was years ago. This was her only animal project this year at the fair.
Ayars enjoys playing volleyball in her spare time. she’s also a part of FFA and takes part in meat evaluation, public speaking and parliamentary procedure competitions.
Ayars encouraged others looking at steer projects to work hard.
“If you put in a little bit of work, the results you get are huge,” she said. “Work hard and never give up.”
