The North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) held its Sale of Champions and broke last year's sale price for all six animals. Collective sale prices totaled $94,500, a NAILE record. This increase was $12,000 over last year's total sales.

The grand champion and reserve champion market lamb, hog and steer are sold at auction at the Sale of Champions. As the auctioneer calls out the bidding price, it is a sorrowful and exciting experience for owners. This is what every junior owner hopes to achieve, but at the same time it means the loss of the animal that they have been so involved with for the past year.

The money from the sale of an animal is divided into three categories. Ten percent of the proceeds go to Kentucky Harvest. Kentucky Harvest puts the money towards food outreach programs for under privileged school children. Another ten percent goes to the North American International Livestock Exposition in order to fund sale promotion activities. The remaining eighty percent goes to owners of animals.

The meat from animals goes to Kentucky Harvest to be served during the holiday season in area shelters.

This year's Grand Champion Steer was exhibited by Tyler Winegardner of Lima, Ohio. It was purchased by Centerplate Corp., the North American Food Court, Deiter Brothers, Jones Show Cattle, Holt Brothers and Northern Star Livestock. The steer was sold for the record breaking price of $24,500. The Reserve Champion Steer was shown by Tiffani Pruitt of Chickasha, Okla.. It was purchased by Kentucky-Indiana Bank Group, Show Master Feeds, 21 C and Dylan Evans for the record sale price of $20,000.

The 2005 Grand Champion Hog was shown by Meri Whitney Zieman of Monticello, Ark. It was purchased by Swift & Co., Arkansas Farm Bureau, Pepsi America and Louisville area broadcasters WAVE-TV, WDRB-TV, WHAS-TV, WLKY-TV and Clear Channel Broadcasting. The hog's sale price was a record breaking $13,000. The Reserve Champion Hog was exhibited by Hannah Martin of Natchitoches, La. It was purchased by Bluegrass Coca-Cola, Musselman Hotels Inc. and Clark Co. Indiana Livestock Producers & Ag Businesses for the record price of $10,500.

This year's Grand Champion Market Lamb was shown by Kassie Jo Winn of Estancia, N.M. The lamb was purchased by Galt House Hotel & Suites, Executive Inn and Executive West at a record price of $13,500. The Reserve Champion Market Lamb was exhibited by Donna Hancock of Eubank, Ky. and was purchased by Kentucky Farm Bureau, Citizen National Bank, Champion Feeds, Louisville Ag Club, Northern Star Livestock and Dick Childs for a record sale price of $13,000.