The Valley’s own Rio Pagliaro has taken the Supreme Grand Lamb championship for the second year in a row.
Taking the title over 500 other entrants, Pagliaro’s Hamp lamb weighed in at 146 pounds. Bred by John and Carol Nicewonger, the lamb sold at auction on Thursday morning for $11.50 per pound. According to Rori Pagliaro, Rio’s mother, the per-pound price is much lower than the Supreme Grand Lamb would normally fetch, which is usually between $15 and $20. She feels the decrease is most likely a result of the poor economy.
“Rio’s really happy with her win,” said Rori Pagliaro. “She works really hard. It isn’t luck that puts you in this position. It’s a bullet-proof feeding and exercise program and lots of people involved in the process along the way. There are tons of people that we need to thank.”
As a member of the California Junior Livestock Association, Rio has been raising and showing livestock since she was 5 years old. At last year’s fair, she also took the Supreme Grand Lamb Championship. In 2007, in the special junior competition in which she competed solely against other 8 year olds, Rio pulled in her first Supreme Grand Championship. This year’s win culminates in her third year reaching the highest level achievable.
