Buena Park High School FFA wins multiple Grand Champion titles at the 2026 Orange County Fair

COSTA MESA — Months of early mornings, hard work and unwavering commitment culminated in an unforgettable finish for students from the Buena Park High School FFA Chapter, who brought home some of the highest honors at the 2026 Orange County Fair.

The chapter earned Grand Champion Market Beef, Grand Champion Market Lamb, Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb and Reserve Grand Champion Pen of Market Broilers, competing against exhibitors from across Southern California. Students showed one steer, twelve market lambs, seven goats, fifteen market hogs, twelve rabbits and numerous poultry projects.

Behind every championship ribbon were months of preparation, discipline and teamwork. Through the spring livestock season, students kept daily feeding schedules, conditioning workouts, showmanship practice and morning runs, plus countless hours caring for their animals.

"At the beginning of the season, I told my students I would work as hard as they were willing to work," said Paulina Cortez, Buena Park High School agriculture teacher and FFA advisor. "They chose to give everything they had. Together we built more than successful livestock projects — we built discipline, consistency, resilience, and a team that genuinely cared about one another."

Among those celebrating was Gavin Sanchez, who called exhibiting at the fair one of the most meaningful experiences of his life. "It wasn't just about competing — it was about everything that led up to it," he said. "I met so many people who share the same passion for agriculture, learned from incredible mentors, and became part of a community that pushes each other to be better."

Agricultural education programs like Buena Park FFA pair classroom instruction with hands-on learning in animal science, leadership, responsibility, public speaking, financial management and teamwork — lessons on display across the fairgrounds as students cheered each other on in and out of the show ring.