This little piggy won swine showmanship

  • by Jennifer Kneuss
  • September 24, 2012
  • 348
                        
Summary: Quite a few of the 271 pigs at the fair had their owners enter them into the Swine Showmanship competition at the 2012 Tuscarawas County Fair. One young winner explains the hard work that makes winning possible. It’s not easy to get a 250 pound plus animal with an opinionated mind of its own to go where you want it to go and do what you want it to do, particularly when that animal is not wearing any type of collar or other restraint. Grace Gingerich of Garaway’s Ragersville Elementary 4-H member, knows that well. However, in spite of the obstacles, Gingerich and others competing in the Swine Showmanship competition at the Tuscarawas County Fair managed to maneuver their pigs around the show ring quite effectively. Pigs though, are pigs, and many simply took off racing across the ring, snorting and kicking their heels in the air in spite of their owner’s best efforts, adding to the entertainment of the crowd. However Gingerich’s 268 pound pig, which she named ‘Sausage’, behaved well for her young owner. “I walked her usually at least twice a day, and spent a lot of time just hanging out with her,” said Gingerich. “We bought her at the Kidron Livestock Auction, along with my backup pig, who I named ‘Biscuit’. Their pen allowed them to be either inside or outside whenever they wanted. Sausage likes to be scratched on the stomach, and she rolls over onto her side when she wants me to scratch her.” Gingerich, like other showmen, took their pigs into the ring ahead of time to allow them to get used to the unfamiliar surroundings and the other pigs. With 271 pigs at the fair, that was not an easy task. Sometimes pigs simply develop an instant dislike to each other, and decide to get into an old fashioned down and dirty fight right in the middle of a show. When that happens, the 4-H youngsters quickly back off and allow the ringmen to break up the fight using wooden barrier boards that discourage the pigs from continuing the fight. Although smart, pigs rely heavily on their vision and tend to quickly forget about a pig they can no longer see. The pigs, however, are quite tame and do not carry any grudges against their owners or other 4-H members, placidly moving around the ring, sniffing the ground as they go. The judges in the swine showmanship competitions always have a big job, evaluating dozens of young members ages 8 to 19 years of age. During showmanship competition, youngsters are judged not on the quality of their pigs, but rather on how clean and well cared for their animals are, and how well their owners can maneuver them around the ring with only a thin stick or cane. Pigs are never hit, only tapped in specific areas to let them know which way their owners wish them to go. Most willingly obey, with the occasional outburst as the exception rather than the rule. One thing that can be difficult is to keep pigs from their tendency to ‘hug’ the outside rails of the ring. Judges want the pigs to walk in the center areas primarily, so they can be well seen and evaluated. Pigs are expected to move steadily, without running or going too slow. “The judge told me he liked my good eye contact, and also how well I worked with Sausage to keep her going,” noted a smiling Gingerich, who placed first in the ten year old competition for her showmanship skills. Other age category winners were Maxx Peters, Justin Green, Maddison Miles, Rexx Peters, Dustin Smith, Kameron Wise, David Mizer and Robbie Collins. Overall Supreme Showmanship winner honors went to Wise, and the kiddie showmanship winner was Jessie Seibert.


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