Pig Wrangling

I spent the day at our local county fair yesterday at the pig show. 

 You may not know, but pigs can be very vicious with people and with each other. The 4-H kids move them form their pens to the show ring through a chute, 

with the help of fellow 4-Hers and adults working the boards, pig boards. 

This volunteer is about to drop down and stop a pig that is coming along the shoot from entering the ring quite yet.

When the kids get them into the ring they keep the pigs moving by taping them on the side with a cane, other wise the pigs would just lay down. They also use the hook of the canes to scratch the pigs tummy when it is standing so it will hold still for the judge.

Here is this years judge, sorting out the pigs. Just imagine Mater's voice  from the movie "Cars" saying "This pig stands higher in the front and is rounder than the other pigs in the class." and you know how it sounded in the show ring, along with ear splitting squeals and calls for boards. If some one yells "Board" the folks with the boards run over and separate the pigs who are not getting along at the moment.

a malcontent pig...had to steer it away from the others

keeping the pigs out of the corners of the show ring

See, they are usually pretty good when they are on their own with their 4-H person, but in the ring....things can get ugly.