4-H showmen know hogs can have a mind of their own

Makenna Woody knew her first time in the swine showmanship ring would be a bit of a wild card.

“You can practice all you want, but in the ring, they ultimately do what they want,” said Woody, a first-year swine showman.

As the Northwest Montana Fair kicked off Wednesday, about 180 hogs and their owners gathered in the Trade Center at the fairgrounds to showcase months of extensive preparation. The event begins with a combination of owners guiding their pigs, and pigs, with owners trailing, guiding themselves around the show ring. The judge offers advice and carefully selects competitors who show advanced control of the animal to move forward in further rounds.

The road to the show ring is lengthy and often times difficult, especially for first-time competitors. Woody said she obtained her pig, who was born in February, in mid-April from a breeder and was then committed to a twice a day feeding schedule and practice time to prepare for the big day. Her favorite part of the event is “creating a bond with the animal,” she said, that allows her to succeed in the ring.

Woody elaborated that preparation is a huge aspect, but there is also many unknowns. Despite the efforts of owners, pigs have a mind of their own in the ring. The whole process brings light to an important life lesson: you can only control so much.

But on a different note, livestock showmanship teaches responsibility. The competitors are given complete control and accompanying responsibility of a living creature, often from a young age. And the end result in the show ring and during the marketing portion of the event, in which the animal is sold, is reflective of the work the competitors put in.

Another competitor, eight year 4-H showman Morgan Baker, said her passion for the process lies in helping other kids. Teaching others the process of walking, showing and taking care of their animals forces her to retain new knowledge and strategies herself, which is a large part of how she improves year by year.

The animals, for Baker, are also a large part, but the level of attachment she feels varies depending on the pig. When she spends 30 minutes twice a day walking the animal in preparation, it’s often difficult to remain unattached.

“For me, it helps to keep the end goal [of showing and selling the market hog] in mind,” Baker explained. She, like most of her competitors, uses a large portion of the profit to fund her education.

The owners will part with their animals on Saturday during the Market Livestock Sale. The hogs shown will be sold in an auction format starting at 8 a.m. and the hard work will finally pay off for the competitors who took months to raise healthy animals for this occasion.

Five-year pig showman Joseph Houston said the money he earns for college and being able to hang around the fair for a week are perfect rewards to cap off the season.

And, he added, “not a lot of people can say they’ve raised a pig, and that’s pretty cool.”

Reporter Katie Lessmeier may be reached at klessmeier@dailyinterlake.com.