Can you top this? Another chicken champion in the Ruggles family

MONROEVILLE — The apple doesn't far fall from the tree as 11-year-old Abecka Ruggles from the Ridgefield Country Kids 4-H Club won the 2021 Reserve Grand Champion Pen of Meat Chickens at the Ohio State Fair. It is truly a family affair as she is one of six children of Marc and Betsy Ruggles who is currently showing or has shown in previous years at the Ohio State Fair. Her father, Marc, also had previously shown chickens at the Ohio State Fair as a 4-Her and won Grand Champion Pen of Meat Chickens in 1985 and Reserve Grand Champion in 1988. This family has now made history as this is the first pair of father and daughter to win in Meat Chickens at the Ohio State Fair, according to the Ohio State Fair Poultry Barn superintendents. It is very unusual for a parent to win Reserve or Grand Champion and then have their child come back years later and win in the same species at the Ohio State Fair. While this family has made history, Abecka is carving out her own path as she broke the record at the Sale of Champions for the selling price of the Reserve Grand Champion Pen of Meat Chickens. This record stood for the last 8 years and it was quickly shattered as Abecka sold her birds for a total of $21,500 with a cap of $4,000. Abecka is thrilled to have most of the money go to support other poultry exhibitors in the state of Ohio and is looking forward to showing her chickens more in the years to come.