Youths go whole hog in showing pigs at the Northwest Montana Fair

It’s been a hard year for hogs and illness, but with precautions in place, it was on with the show at the Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo on Monday morning. 

“This year has been a really hard year on a lot of kids disease-wise. There’s been some bad stuff traveling around,” fair veterinarian Amanda Oedekoven said. 

Amanda Oedekoven, also a Glacier View 4-H leader, said many youths, including her child, Kylee, opted not to travel to other shows or jackpots to prevent the spread of diseases ahead of the show at the Flathead Fairgrounds.  

“There was a disease called the Seneca Valley virus that looks just like foot-and-mouth disease and so it has big implications to markets nationwide. So that happened this spring here in Montana,” she said. “There were a lot of things going on too, but that was the big one.” 

Amanda said the biggest challenge with disease prevention in Flathead County is that many pigs must be shipped in from out-of-state, with the Oedekovens encouraging more 4-Hers and FFA youths to take on hog breeding projects.  

“The biggest issue with our program here, why we’re struggling is Montana doesn’t have the markets or the producers to provide the pigs for the kids in this county, so we have to ship in semi-loads of pigs from out-of-state. One of Kylee’s ideas is she would love to see more kids do breeding projects in an effort to have more local options for kids to source pigs. They’re a lot healthier if you don’t truck them in,” she explained, her daughter nodding. 

With the potential of illness, injury or not making weight (about 220-295 pounds); it’s not uncommon for the youths to raise “backup pigs,” — like an understudy in a play. 

“We have four fair pigs every year between me and my sister,” 4-Her Emily Hall said. “Each of us have our main [pig] and then we have a backup in case they don’t make weight, or they get sick, or something happens.” 

Emily Hall is also one of the 4-Hers planning to take on a breeding project this year, purchasing two sows. It will be a first for Hall, who is in her third year competing at the fair. 

Picking up a can of what looked like hairspray, she misted her pig, Charlotte, with a product to create a show-ready shine.  

“Like a couple of weeks before fair you need to start giving baths on a regular basis. Then you do the same with moisturizer care so you get off all the dead skin and everything. The night before you’ll give them a bath, and then moisturize them and then do it again in the morning before you show,” she said. 

When it comes to showmanship, it’s the individual who takes center stage in how they present themselves and drive their pigs around the ring. 

“Showmanship is more about you than your animal,” Emily Hall said, as opposed to market hogs. 

“So very much you really want to make sure that you have direct eye contact with the judge the whole time, and then you need to make sure that you aren't doing the exact same thing as every other showman in the ring,” she said. 

How does one stand out against a dozen or more competitors and pigs? 

“A lot of people, get into a pattern of everybody will go sideways in front of the judge. So, if you can, you want to, like, try to drive towards them or away from them, or get out of the group or something. But you always want to still be in front of the judge. There's a whole lot of different factors that go into it,” Emily Hall said. 

Competitors start bonding and working with their pigs in late March or early April. 

“The first couple weeks that you have them, you're mainly just, like, getting them used to you, and you're getting them used to the whips that we use. After you get a good bond, and your pig comes up to you and likes you… then you can start walking them inside the pen. Once they start figuring out the direction and how to walk and everything, then you can take them outside of the pen and hope that they don't run off on you, but most of the time it doesn't happen,” Emily said. 

She noted Charlotte’s standout quality is her sweet and calm personality. When deciding what pig to show Emily Hall said to look at structure. Personality and temperament become evident as the pig matures. 

“When they’re babies you truly just focus on structure. You can build muscle by working them, but you can’t fix structure,” she said. 

Kylee Oedekoven has been with her pig Adventure since assisting in its birth with a mother she also helped raise. 

“It’s just really fun bonding with them at first sight,” she said, noting that her pig is an exemplary listener. 

“I just love her for that,” she said. “I love giving her treats and belly rubs.” 

Oedekoven demonstrated just how much her pig loves belly rubs. With one rub on her side, Adventure flopped down on its side, exposing its belly for more rubs. 

“It gives me a year to bond with my pig and have fun with them. Get ready for fair. Fair just comes all down to another fun part where you get to show what you’ve been doing with the pig all year,” she said. 

By working with the pigs regularly they learn how to step with a long stride, parading around the ring. 

“You don’t want them taking itty bitty baby steps you want them stretching their legs forward, taking big steps,” she said. 

A show pig should also hold its head high, she said. 

“When I tap her chin that’s telling her to put her head up and makes her take long steps,” Kylee Oedekoven said, showing the driver whip she uses. 

Grabbing some tablets of Tums, Kylee Oedekoven holds her open palm out to her pig who eats them up with relish, her tail wagging. Just as stress can cause stomach upset or exacerbate ulcers in people, it’s similar in pigs, according to her veterinarian mom Amanda.  

“They use Tums as treats so they can keep their bellies healthy,” Amanda said. 

Kylee likes using Tums as treats for their portability. 

“You can take them in the ring and put them in your pocket and they don’t melt,” she said. 

WITH A delay to the start of the show on Monday, competitors had extra time to groom the pigs and change into the basic show uniform of a crisp white button-up shirt and black jeans. It was also an opportunity for friends and family to relax before the show. 

Michelle Boucher, mother of 4-Hers, Chiara and Louis, was herself in 4-H, recalling winning reserve champion at an Arabian quarter horse show at age 15. 

“The best thing about 4-H is that it’s real life,” Michelle Boucher said. “A lot of kids have had really hard years. We had kind of a hard year. We’ve had sick pigs. We had pigs pass away. And, you know they worked really hard and sometimes you make it.” 

She said 4-H teaches consistency and a good work ethic and perseverance. 

“It’s twice a day, feeding them every morning and every night. Walking them and training. And sometimes you can do everything right and still not be able to be here,” she said. 

Finally, it’s time for the show to start with the senior showmanship class. 

In the ring, judge Sierra Meyers described what she is looking for in showmanship, emphasizing eye contact in making that first impression and having control over the pig. 

“I am an intense person. I love an intense showman. I told somebody show me in here. I want you to stare at me or look at me like, ‘Lady, if you don’t pick me, we're gonna have a serious problem after in the parking lot,” Meyers said.  

“But I love that intensity as soon as you come into the gate. That first impression is going to be really important. The second thing that I might be looking for is control, control over your hog. We call this driving our pigs,” she said, likening it to steering a car. 

After each class, Sierra Meyers speaks to each competitor one-on-one to provide feedback and advice to improve for next year’s competition. 

When the fifth class of the senior showmanship concludes, the top eight showmen were brought into the ring. With consistent taps on each side of the hog’s face or sides, it was clear why they were the top competitors moving around the ring with ease the competitors making eye contact with the judge in hopes to stand out among the crowd. Even one vocal pig expresses its emotions with long squeals. 

Finally, it came down to naming the top three competitors with reserve and grand champion listed last. 

Third place went to Tessa Pheifer. Junior reserve champion went to Coy Braaten and his hog Hercules. The applause grew louder as Manny Barone of the Kalispell FFA was named the senior showmanship grand champion with his hog Missy. 

Coming out of the ring, Manny Barone was met with congratulations, high fives, handshakes and big hugs from friends and family including his mother, Jenni and father, Gary.  

With seven years of experience showing livestock (three of them being hogs) under his belt, he has a new buckle to add to his past wins. 

As other families went through the hardship of illnesses and injuries the Barone family was not immune and had a pig die in May. 

“When you lose a pig that limits who can come to fair to compete in market or showmanship,” Jenni Barone said about her children. 

“... but we were able to recover,” Manny Barone said. 

“[4-H and FFA] Teaches so many life lessons. It teaches them to appreciate life and experience life and death,” Jenni Barone said. 

Manny Barone said he decided Missy was a candidate for showmanship. In the ring, Missy’s calm disposition was evident. With a relaxed and easy stride, Missy was quite unaware she was the porcine queen of the show ring with the judge commending Manny Barone for his ability to show every side of his pig. 

Manny Barone provided advice to junior and novice competitors. 

“Always get up and get out there. You hope to win, but when you get in the show ring there’s a whole new element and mentality. You just gotta go in and get er’ done,” he said. 

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com. 

    Patience Bain competes in the hog show at the Northwest Montana Fair Monday, Aug. 12. (Avery Howe/Bigfork Eagle)
  

    Teagan Flint competes in the hog show at the Northwest Montana Fair Monday, Aug. 12. (Avery Howe/Bigfork Eagle)

    Kylee Oedekoven of Glacier View 4-H gives her pig Adventure or "Addy" a treat before the junior division goes into the ring for the hog showmanship competition Monday, Aug. 12 at the Northwest Montana Fair. (Hilary Matheson/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    Hog showmanship judge Sierra Meyers gives feedback to a competitor in the senior division at the hog showmanship event Monday, Aug. 12 at the Northwest Montana Fair. (Hilary Matheson/Daily Inter Lake)

    Manny Barone is hugged by a family friend after winning grand champion in the senior division of the hog showmanship competition Monday, Aug. 12 at the Northwest Montana Fair. (Hilary Matheson/Daily Inter Lake)
  

  

    Hog showmanship competitors drive their pigs around the ring while maintaining eye contact with the judge. (Hilary Matheson/Daily Inter Lake)  

    Emily Hall of Glacier View 4-H grooms her hog before the showmanship competition Monday, Aug. 12 at the Northwest Montana Fair. She competed in the junior division. (Hilary Matheson/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    Snickerdoodle and Madeleine snooze before the hog showmanship event hog showmanship competition Monday, Aug. 12 at the Northwest Montana Fair. (Hilary Matheson/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    Kindi Benson plays with her pig, Stud, before the hog show at the Northwest Montana Fair on Monday, Aug. 12 at the Flathead Fairgrounds. (Avery Howe/Bigfork Eagle)