Ten-year-old Buck Dishman prepared to show his very own pigs, Star and Midnight, two spot barrel pigs, each one year old.
Many kinds of livestock were unloaded Saturday at the Monroe County fairgrounds, where kids got a chance to show their command of their animals.
Dishman knew Star and Midnight when they were piglets. Now he knelt down to give them a little water before the show.
He waited.
Without warning, more than 20 pigs tumbled out of the gates, and their preteen owners scrambled to follow, patting them with show whips and spraying them with water.
Pigs collided. Parents took pictures. Boys in plaid, button-down shirts and girls in braids hurriedly attempted to wipe feces off their pigs’ rears before it was their turn to show.
Dishman was third to enter the showing area, and the last in the first round of kids to get his pig into the holding cell after walking it around.
More command of your pig will come with maturity, the show officiator said.
Dishman’s father patted his back.
“Its enough of a challenge to know where your pig is at,” he said.
The Monroe County 4-H club offered swine shows, sheep shows, poultry shows and horse shows at the county fairgrounds. Helicopter rides and tractor pulls were offered throughout the day.
Outside the barn next to the swine show, 11-year-old James Cain washed his goat, Satan, with a hose. Satan earned his name from being a mischievous kid, but he’s calmed down as he’s grown. Cain was preparing to show him Sunday.
Inside the barn, 15-year-old Sam Baker let three baby goats crawl on him as his friends watched.
“You just put a lead on them and walk them like a dog,” he said.
The fair runs from July 26 to Aug. 2 and also features recreational activities such as the mechanical bull ride and the zip line as well as musical acts such as country artist Jake Dodds.
