GREENFIELD — The contestants took in the sights and smells of the swine barn as they guided their gilts and barrows around the pen. They gently prodded the pigs around the corral, showing off their prized animals to the judges.
After a day of deliberation, two 4-H students walked away beaming, purple ribbon in hand; a fine reward symbolizing hours of work finally paid off, they said.
The annual Hancock-County 4-H Fair swine show Monday awarded Grand Champion titles to two show pigs raised by Eastern Hancock’s A.J. Muegge and Makenzie O’Neal. Competing in 4-H is a uniquely fun experience, but the challenge also serves as a lesson in personal responsibility, they said.
Muegge, 19, graduated from Eastern Hancock this spring and will study engineering at Purdue next fall. He participated in the 4-H show for 10 years; it’s nice to round up his final year at the swine show with a grand champion ribbon, he said.
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Muegge said he was unsure of how his gilt would turn out while it was just a piglet, but his family was pleasantly shocked to see how big and strong she eventually became. He didn’t give a name to the 330-pound gilt, but the folks running the swine show took care of that for him, he said.
The judge called the animal Coppertop, so that’s the name he’s going to go with, Muegge said, pointing to the sunset colored spots speckling the pig’s back.
Competition is a great way to showcase the results of good livestock care, but the contest is more about gaining from what he learned along the way, Muegge said.
“It’s fun to compete, and everyone wants to win. But this is about something bigger than yourself,” Muegge said.
O’Neal– a seventh-grader at Eastern Hancock Middle School — said she’s had a lot of fun helping raise her 6-month-old, 263-pound barrow, whom she named Clide.
The daily responsibilities of taking care of Clide really added up, she said. She’s been raising swine since third grade, and has become accustomed to cleaning the pens and washing the pigs. She had to feed him and walk him, preparing for the competition.
Being involved in 4-H has allowed her to spend more quality time in good company, human and animal alike, she said. But it’s also taught her some meaningful life skills.
“It’s super fun to hang out with your friends, and it just teaches you a lot of responsibilities,” she said. “It’s a lot of hard work, but it pays off in the end.”
The head judge at the swine show, A.J. Williams, has been assisting with swine shows across the country for 18 years, he said. The show pig deemed worthy of winning a grand champion ribbon is determined by several factors, to include size, aesthetic and apparent health, he said.
The most well-rounded pigs are the ones who typically end up winning, Williams said, which requires the owner to have plenty of dedication to care for the animal. Caring for livestock is a 24/7 job, he said. There are few other tasks that teach that level of responsibility, he said.
“If you have animals, you don’t take Christmas Day off,” Williams said. “You don’t take holidays off, because you’re still responsible for their well-being.”
“This is one of the premier counties in the state of Indiana,” Williams added. “It has been my privilege to evaluate the different livestock here.”
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Check out what’s going on today at the fair.
8 a.m.: 4-H Sheep Show, Show Arena
9 a.m.: 4-H Cat Show, West Arena
10 a.m.: Exhibit Hall open
10 a.m.-close: Tractor Supply Company: Follow Us to the Fair Tour 2018, north of Show Arena
11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Pork chops and pork burgers served, Pioneer Building
12 p.m.-close: Petting zoo with pony and camel rides, Hancock Building
1 p.m.: Carnival opens
5 p.m.: Commercial vendors open
5 p.m.: 4-H Horse & Pony Club will have horses on display, Hancock Building
5-8:30 p.m.: Indiana Bloodmobile
6 p.m.: 4-H Dairy Show, West Arena (mini Dairy Show immediately following)
6 p.m.: 4-H Sheep Show of Champions and Showmanship, Show Arena
6 p.m.: Silly Safari Show
7 p.m.: Entertainment by Tim Coffey & Elkridge, Pioneer Building
7:30 p.m.: Silly Safari Show
10 p.m.-6 pa.m.: Beef release
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