Kentucky State Fair Grand Champion Ham shatters record again at 60th Annual Country Ham Breakfast

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The 60th Annual Country Ham Breakfast and Auction set a new record yet again at the 2024 Kentucky State Fair Thursday morning.

The winning bid for this year's Grand Champion Ham fetched $10.5 million and was placed by Kelly and Joe Craft, shattering last year's record of $10 million!

The ham was produced by Josh Polling of Broadbent B & B Farms in Kuttawa, Kentucky. Polling recently purchased the company in July from longtime owners Ronnie and Beth Drennan.

This year's Grand Champion title makes Broadbent B & B Farms the first family in history to win the title four years running. Polling made sure to give all his credit to the Drennan's.

"Ronnie and Beth - this is their legacy," Polling said. "This could kind of be considered as the passing of the torch, but this is their ham."

IMAGES | 60th Annual Country Ham Breakfast and Auction

The Crafts are donating their $10.5 million bid to several charitable organizations and projects, including Boys and Girls Clubs across the state. Their donation will also be used to help rebuild the houses and communities in Eastern Kentucky that were damaged from the 2022 floods.

“My husband and I are honored to have won the charity auction for the Kentucky State Fair Grand Champion Ham at the 60th annual Country Ham Breakfast,” Kelly Craft said. “We believe that helping others is a fundamental value, and we are fortunate to be able to pledge a large amount of our resources to philanthropic causes each year."

For the past two years, the Grand Champion Ham has broken records. In 2021, the winning ham was sold for $4.8 million. In 2022, the winning ham fetched $5 million. The 2023 winning ham doubled the record at $10 million.

Each year, the ham breakfast showcases the best of Kentucky agriculture. More than 1,600 people gathered Thursday to celebrate agriculture and raise money for great organizations.

Sponsored by Kentucky Farm Bureau, the breakfast gives farm families and other attendees the opportunity to hear from elected officials and Kentucky Farm Bureau leadership.

This year also marked the 25th year that Miss Kentucky has carried the Grand Champion Ham into the breakfast. This year's ham weighed in at 18.2 pounds.

Chapel Tinius has been working towards the task since she was crowned Miss Kentucky.

"Getting to be a part of this long-standing tradition is a huge honor," Tinius said. "I'm really excited to be taking part."

Several Kentucky lawmakers attended the breakfast, including Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell, and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who delivered remarks during the breakfast.

Over the years, the auction has raised nearly $34 million for local charities since the breakfast began in 1964. The first Grand Champion Ham sold for $124.

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