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 Staff photo/Angela Weaver: Memorial High School students sign the sub floor of in the gymnasium at the new middle school-high school complex Monday morning. This photograph below shows some of the names of the students.
By ANGELA WEAVER
Staff Writer
ST. MARYS — Students of all ages had the opportunity to make their mark
on their new school Monday morning, with most of the students seeing the
interior for the first time.
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Showing swine |
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Tuesday, 29 July 2008 |
By KAREN CAMPBELL
Staff Writer
WAPAKONETA — Some use marshmallows to entice them, some make noises or whisper to them, while others lay down next to them in the pen and scratch their backs.
All types of efforts are to help calm their hogs for showing in the ring.
Logan Badertscher, of Waynesfield, said of all the competitions she will enter her hog, Rosebud, in at the Auglaize County Fair, Monday’s Swine Showmanship Show matters the most to her.
“This is more about you than the pig,” Logan said. “Some people don’t have the opportunity to spend a lot of money on a champion pig, but this shows what you can do.
“I know how hard I worked and this gives me a chance to show it,” she said.
The 14 year old said unlike some other animals, hogs cannot be kept on a leash and have free rein of where they want to go.
Logan, who has shown hogs for six years, said one of the toughest challenges to showing a hog in 90-degree temperatures is keeping him cool by washing and spraying him often and giving him plenty of water to drink.
Slade Oen, who won first in his age division for showmanship, didn’t think he would win this year, but he gave it his all, getting ready long before the show ever started by walking his pig around his Wapakoneta house twice a day.
The 12 year old said in addition to the hog’s appearance, he understands that his own appearance is an important part of the showmanship competition.
“You’ve got to dress well to get ready for the show,” said Slade, who chose to wear an orange-and-white plaid shirt.
The third-year showman, who received a Grand Champion ribbon in the open show Sunday, said showmanship is an important part of any competition involving livestock, as he is always being judged on how well he presents his hog to the judge.
He’s learned a lot of his tips from his older brother, Zane Oen.
“You need to keep eye contact,” Slade said. “Keep the hog in front of the judge and never go behind.”
Judge Dave Runyan, of Bellefontaine, said in judging the showmen, which were divided into four age classes, he was looking for someone who anticipates what their animal may do next, keeps their position and stays with the animal.
“I want to see how many times they can get out in front of me with ease and do it one-on-one,” Runyan, who has judged hogs for more than 30 years, said between class judgings Monday afternoon. “I like to see them maintain eye contact and how easily they flow with the animal.”
RaNae Bornhorst, 15, of Wapakoneta, said she likes showmanship because everyone is courteous to each other.
One important lesson she’s learned along the way is to stay calm.
“If you get frustrated, your animal will get frustrated,” RaNae said. “If that starts to happen I stand there for a second and take a deep breath.”
She said keeping the pig between her and the judge is key.
RaNae said she also likes to keep the cane on the side with her so the judge can focus on seeing the hog.
“I like showing better, you can control it,” RaNae said of the difference between showmanship and the regular hog show scheduled for Wednesday.
Marissa Hile and Adam Brown, both 12, of St. Marys, said they start working to get their hogs moving a few minutes before they head into the ring, so they are ready to go when its their turn.
“You talk to them and stay close so they get used to you,” Marissa said. “That way they want to stay close to you and they won’t run away.”
She thinks of the top showmanship honor as equal to the honor for Grand Champion hog as she prepares for both, which are important in determining an overall well-rounded winner.
Cody Topp, 15, of New Knoxville, got his hog, Billy, ready for the show by washing him and keeping him calm with food and water.
“I do what I can to keep him from getting stressed,” Cody said.
He sprayed him off before he entered the ring to make him shine.
“It takes a lot of work to get ready for this,” Cody said. “I walk my pigs twice a day for 20 minutes around the yard before I bring them to the fair.
“If you work with them enough it’s not too bad,” he said, explaining that he starts by using marshmallows as a reward, but then breaks that off so the hogs don’t think they have to get a treat to do what’s expected of them in the ring.
Instead of a traditional cane or whip, Cody uses his personal preference, a piece of plastic pipe, especially when caught in the corner or when the animal is not cooperating, but not too much, so he doesn’t bruise the hog. The goal of using it is to get him to slow down or turn.
He said the hog competition and showmanship are important when he has headed to the fair the last seven years but which he puts more weight on depends on how good of a hog he thinks he has, and that’s something he can’t necessarily control, while showmanship he can.
In the ring, 11-year-old Sarah Horman, of Wapakoneta, said she tried to find a way to communicate with her hog, Chunk, that wasn’t overbearing, allowing him to relax without having to hit him on the nose too much so he wouldn’t get upset.
Sarah also provided pointers on scoring high points with the judge in showmanship.
“Smile, keep eye contact, try to stay by the judge and have fun.” |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 01 August 2008 )
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