Competitors and their pigs hog spotlight in the show ring at the Northwest Montana Fair
Harper Rose and her pig Dilly prep for the pig show at Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell on Monday, Aug. 14. (Avery Howe/Hungry Horse News)
William Dyer and Terry Dyer clean up their pigs for the pig show at Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell on Monday, Aug. 14. (Avery Howe/Hungry Horse News)
Before the pig show, Chloe Wirth practices a little origami at Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell on Monday, Aug. 14. (Avery Howe/Hungry Horse News)
Trevalion Hagadone sits with his pig at Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell on Monday, Aug. 14. (Avery Howe/Hungry Horse News)
Kiley Cheff dusts wood chips from her pig Ariat's snout before the show at Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell on Monday, Aug. 14. (Avery Howe/Hungry Horse News)
Drake Ward takes the upper level of his pig's pen before the show at Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell on Monday, Aug. 14. (Avery Howe/Hungry Horse News)
Abbie McCatchey and pig Pickles rest up before the competition at Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell on Monday, Aug. 14. (Avery Howe/Hungry Horse News)
Aiden DeLong redirects his pig during the showmanship competition at Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell on Monday, Aug. 14. (Avery Howe/Hungry Horse News)
A 4-H member pets their pig at Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell on Monday, Aug. 14. (Avery Howe/Hungry Horse News)
During the showmanship competition, Emily Lockhart sprays down her pig as others circle the ring at Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell on Monday, Aug. 14. (Avery Howe/Hungry Horse News)
A pig goes on the run during the pig show at Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell on Monday, Aug. 14. (Avery Howe/Hungry Horse News)
A showman directs a pig around the ring at Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell on Monday, Aug. 14. (Avery Howe/Hungry Horse News)
While Tala will eat just about anything, what the pig enjoys most is vanilla wafers.
Named for the Disney character Moana’s grandmother, the pig was being shown Monday at the Flathead County Fairgrounds by 12-year-old Kalispell Middle School student Joslyn Crofts.
Saying the fair is something she looks forward to, this was Joslyn’s fourth time showing a pig at the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo through the Country Cousins 4-H club.
“It’s cool to just get them when they are babies, getting to play with them, and watching them grow,” Joslyn said.
Inside the Trade Center, excited children and eager parents awaited the chance to show the pigs they had raised to a judge.
With decorated posters above each pen, the pig is showcased with their owner. From Pickles to Rosie to Axle, each pig has its own personality. And its own favorite snack, usually marshmallows, sometimes vanilla wafers or pudding.
For the Crofts family, the event is a family affair.
Joslyn’s little brother, Jase, 8, is also a competitor at the fair. Jase’s pig, Rosie, was one of the smallest pigs in the bunch when he chose her. He spent every morning and night intentionally feeding her to get her up to weight.
“It is a great sense of direction,” Jennifer Crofts, Jase and Joslyn’s mom, said. “It teaches them responsibility and they have to be prepared to answer questions and know a lot about their pig.”
According to Joslyn, her mother’s own interest in raising horses as a kid inspired her to get involved with showing her own animals. With Tala and Rosie living side by side, Joslyn said, they were able to socialize and play, hopefully helping their chances in the competition.
The showmanship competition on Monday morning was overseen by Judge Mari Morris, who walked around the show ring as the different classes came in to show their animals. She was looking for intensity and an authoritative demeanor in the competition.
“They went past the basics of showmanship, which is having the control and the consistency of your animal, and took it to the next level where they could really incorporate their own style and their own extra bells and whistles,” Morris said regarding the competitors who caught her eye in the Class 1 showcase.
Morris also said that the kids need to be the ones driving the show, not the pigs. She strategically positions herself at different places in the ring to observe how the kids move their pigs. Going behind Morris, she said, is a big no-no.
Hundreds of people gathered to watch the showmanship competition, with dozens of kids and pigs lined up waiting for their turn. Abbie McClatchey, a 15-year-old upcoming sophomore at Glacier High School, showed off her pig, Pickles, a Hampshire Yorkshire cross. This is her first year showing pigs through the Future Farmers of America program.
Senior year, McClatchey said, she may work her way up to showing a steer.
“I love when [Pickles] gets the zoomies, he’ll run right at you,” she said regarding her pig.
Hunter Mitchell, 13, and his brother, 11-year-old Caleb Mitchell, also are showing pigs at this year’s fair. With five combined showcases between the two of them after this year, showing pigs is something they are passionate about. At Somers Middle School, the Mitchell’s are a part of the 4-H club the Glacier Stars.
“I just thought it would be good for me to learn how to do this stuff,” Caleb said.
A consistent concern is whether the pigs will behave well once they enter the show ring. According to Evelyn Dowler, a 12-year-old who is showing her fourth pig this year, it's unpredictable whether her pig, Rooster, will stay next to her in the ring.
“I am looking forward to just walking him around and seeing how he does,” Dowler said. Dowler said that before she enters the ring she conditions her pig to make him shiny, helping with his appearance, something that the judges look for.
Whether or not the kids win or lose, the experience is a way to learn about responsibility and determination, as multiple parents say. In general, the experience can sometimes influence future dreams.
Madisyn Hall, 18, and her pig Simone, are participating in the competition as well. Hall is the president of Smith Valley Boosters and just graduated from Flathead High School.
Hall plans on attending school to hopefully become a game warden, further enhancing her love for working with and around animals.
“My favorite part is the bond you have with your animal,” Hall said. “They definitely have a lot of personality.”
Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.
