Shown here are Miss Kentucky Rachelle Phillips, of Princeton; with Randy Attkisson and Larry Cranfill, of First Southern National Bank of Stanford; and the Grand Champion Ham that netted a record $500,000 at the 43rd Kentucky Country Ham Breakfast.

   LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: Kentucky’s country ham industry can now lay claim to a prize specimen worth a half-million dollars, thanks to some spirited bidding, and generous financial support, of First Southern National Bank.
   The financial institution, headquartered in Stanford, outlasted all rivals at the 43^rd Kentucky Country Ham Breakfast yesterday at the State Fair, and paid a whopping $500,000 for the State Fair Grand Champion Ham.
   Runner-up in the bidding was Republic Bank and Trust Company, which last year paid a then-record $340,000 for the 2005 champion pork.
   Randy Attkisson, chief financial officer for First Southern, handled the bidding duties for his bank. He said the proceeds of the auction would go to Crown Financial Ministries, a faith-based financial counseling service.
   This year’s champion ham was exhibited by Broadbent B & B Foods, of Cadiz. The firm, owned by Ronny and Beth Drennan, has won the state fair ham contest for the past three years.
   The ham breakfast and auction, sponsored by Kentucky Farm Bureau, drew a capacity crowd of 1,600 to the South Wing Conference Center at the state fairgrounds.