Brian Sager feels good about last year’s Parade of Champions at the Illinois State Fair, held for the first time in the Coliseum and in front of thousands of spectators.

“To see the expression on the exhibitors’ faces when they walked in…well, we want to do that again,” says Sager, the general livestock superintendent at the Illinois State Fair.

And while the 2015 Parade was a success by virtually any measure, Sager also feels confident they can make it an even better experience for everyone this year, with a few tweaks.

PACKED HOUSE: Brian Sager estimates that 3,000 people were in the Coliseum to watch last year’s Parade of Champions and Grand Champion Drive, and he expects even more this year.

“Last year was the first year in the Coliseum for this very large event. It was incredibly well received. The Coliseum was packed. But the layout, with a smaller show ring and bleachers around it, precluded visitors from seeing well from seats,” Sager says.

This year, he says they’ll split the Coliseum into two rings, with one on the east and one on the west. They’ll start out with meat goats on the east, and then will select lambs on the west. Then they’ll switch back to the east ring for the hogs, and will conclude the show with steers on the west side. The Parade of Champions will begin at 5 p.m. this year, allowing more time for judging and moving animals.

Bigger rings will be easier for exhibitors to negotiate, and should help with air flow. They’ll have bleachers on the north and south rails, and they’ll be reserved for families of the exhibitors. Each exhibitor will receive four floor tickets to distribute to family and friends. All other spectators will be urged to sit in the Coliseum stands.

Like last year, each winner will be announced and paraded into the ring, prior to the Grand Championship Drive for each specie. However, they’re tweaking that very announcement…based on unforeseen circumstances from last year.

Last year, in the heat of the moment, officials flipped on a large fan right next to where emcee Rita Frazer was doing the announcing. Just like that, her stack of cards that listed – in order – the winning sheep exhibitors, scattered in the wind. They put them back as best they could but the damage was done.

This year, they’ll amend the card situation, and they’re turning over some emcee duties to the folks who’ve done it all day and know the kids. RFD’s Rita Frazer will still welcome everyone and set up the program, but then the folks who know that specie will take over at the microphone.

Sager says they’re also moving the staging area to the makeup arena south of the Coliseum. When each exhibitor and animal arrives from their barn, they’ll head to that arena, then will come into the Coliseum when it’s time for their specie to show.

“Last year, everything was well planned and everyone was supposed to be staggered coming over from the barns, including the State Police escort. But our exhibitors and their families were so excited and they wanted to get over to the Coliseum and see what was going on. It was very exciting but it created a lot of people and animals on the floor, and the heat was hard. We’re trying to control that more this year and I think it’ll work fine.”

Sager estimates that 3,000 people were in the Coliseum to watch last year’s Parade of Champions and Grand Champion Drive.

“And we expect even more this year,” he says.