Squeals of joy abound at King of the Ridge Pig Preview
Judges had their work cut out for them at the recent annual King of the Ridge Pig Preview at Harvest Ridge at the Holmes County Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 22. The event brought in competition from all around Ohio and beyond the Buckeye State’s borders.
The annual King of the Ridge Pig Preview at Harvest Ridge at the Holmes County Fairgrounds brought plenty of pizzazz and competition to the ag building, where youth from all over Ohio and beyond came to compete with their pigs and display their showmanship skills in the ring in front of judges.
The event took place April 21-22 in Millersburg and included a market show and breeding show for the pigs on Saturday afternoon, as well as a judged showmanship performance Saturday morning in which the pig trainers were able to showcase their skills in front of a judge.
According to Renee Zimmerman, one of the coordinators of the event, the idea came to reality during fall 2020 when there was a lot of uncertainty due to COVID about what the foreseeable future was for livestock shows.
“It was at this time that a small committee of Holmes County Fair board members along with the help of several community members put a plan together to host a beef show, which was dubbed King of the Ridge Showdown, over Thanksgiving weekend at Harvest Ridge,” Zimmerman said.
This committee was and still is comprised of people who grew up in the livestock show circuit and have a deep appreciation for state and national livestock shows.
The beef show ended up being a huge success and received encouraging feedback from the participants, so much so that King of the Ridge Pig Preview was created for the spring of 2021.
“The King of the Ridge participants rave about how much they love bringing their families to Holmes County,” Zimmerman said. “The lodging, food, scenery and just overall hospitality in our area is top notch, and they are very appreciative of that.”
The showmanship event included divisions in senior, intermediate, junior and peewee and gave youth of all ages and experience a chance to hone their skills and test their nerves.
In the senior showmanship competition, Destiny Reed of Ashville, Ohio emerged as the victor.
Exhibitors made life difficult for judges Nathan Ray, who judged the intermediate and peewee classes in the Memorial Day Classic Ring, and Dillon Sheiss, who judged the senior and junior classes in the Back in the Barn Boutique Ring.
Zimmerman compared this event to travel sports in that these livestock exhibitors travel not only around Ohio, but also around the country to showcase their livestock and to prepare for shows such as the Ohio State Fair and numerous other national shows.
“The time and effort put into these animals preparing for these shows is astounding,” she said. “When it comes to the Holmes County Fair, you’re competing against individuals you see on a regular basis. At King of the Ridge, you will look around the ring and see individuals from all over Ohio and five surrounding states.”
Reed agreed.
“This is a different feel altogether,” Reed said. “It’s fairly similar because you put pressure on yourself at your county fair because it’s local, but these types of jackpot shows are exciting because you know you’re seeing a lot of the top showmen and quality pigs, so they both have their own way of adding pressure.”
The showmanship veteran said despite the competition and the pressure, these young people see each other in competition, and they all get along well, calling it one big family.
“That’s really what makes it fun,” said Reed, who has been showing animals since she was 3 years old. “The number of friends and families I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know better along the way has been great.”
She said another part of the experience she and many of the older participating teens take as a challenge is helping younger kids develop and grow into the activity and learn the best ways to raise their animals and develop their showmanship skills.
On this day Reed’s showmanship skills proved more than capable.
The Double Down breeding and market events to judge the hogs included breeding gilt and market hog divisions, and each winner emerged with not only a banner, but also with a King of the Ridge belt buckle.
The committee spared no expense in making this a worthwhile event for those who traveled near and far to attend.
Zimmerman said they have received great feedback for their events, noting exhibitors say Harvest Ridge provides one of the nicest and cleanest facilities in the state for hosting livestock shows.
“The time spent planning and setting up for the show is all worth it when you look around the event and see all of the smiles on the kids’ faces,” Zimmerman said. “I know the best memories I have growing up are spending time with my family preparing for and spending time at cattle shows. It makes me so happy to get to watch other kids grow up making the same wonderful memories with their families and friends.”
While the event participants took center stage, there was a great deal of help and commitment on the local level to make King of the Ridge Pig Preview a top-notch show that will keep people coming back.
Getting the type of commitment that came from all of the Holmes County volunteers, including plenty of Holmes County Fair senior and junior fair board members, was something that took a lot of planning and hard work.
“This wouldn’t be possible without the knowledge and skill of so many volunteers who know what it takes to host these types of livestock shows. I speak for us all when I say it’s a lot of work but a real blessing to be able to do this, and it’s something we hope to continue for many years to come,” Zimmerman said.