Putting on a (hog) show at the fair's opening day
By Steve Herring
Published in News on September 29, 2017 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Logan Ballance, left, of Fremont tries to keep her hog Riley under control as her dad, Justin, stands by with a misting bottle just in case Riley needs to be cooled down.
DUDLEY -- LileeAnn Estes' eyes grew large and her mouth formed an "O" as she counted the money she had just won showing her hog, Shadow.
She is saving the money for the N.C. State Fair in just a few weeks where she will compete again -- and play games and ride rides.
Shadow did not seem impressed either way, especially after she got some food, water and a cooling mist sprayed over her.
Shadow was among the nearly 50 hogs shown by youths Thursday night during the Open Junior Market Hog Show at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair.
The fair will run through Oct. 7 at the fairgrounds on U.S. 117 South.
Temperatures were in the upper 80s, and efforts were made to keep the animals cool. There were large fans, and misting bottles were used to spray water on the hogs.
It was the first night of the fair's 10-day run and the first of several youth livestock shows.
The Open Junior Meat Goat Show will be held tonight at 6 p.m. in the livestock arena. The Open Junior Market Lamb Show will be held Saturday at 6 p.m.
LileeAnn, 9, was at the fair with her parents, Clay and Caroline Estes, who came all the way from Hertford in Perquimans County in northeastern North Carolina.
"We both grew up with livestock," Caroline said. "She enjoys it. She loves animals. That is what drives us to do it.
"We got her involved in it really because kids today are on computers and everything where this right here teaches responsibility," Clay said. "It teaches them realities of life, and it is fun, too. It is a lot of work.
"It is not for the money. It is for her."
LileeAnn has shown hogs for five years, but it is her first year on the show circuit.
She said she is not nervous at all about competing in front of crowds.
LileeAnn has advice for other youths who might be interested in showing hogs.
"Try to get close to the judge and get in the right spot," she said.
In other words, try to get the judge to focus on you, she said.
Other than winning the money and ribbons, LileeAnn said she just enjoys showing the animals and seeing friends at the shows.
"It is like a family," Clay said. "It is a family thing. It is competition out there in the ring, but when we get out of the ring we are all friends. If somebody needs something.... It is like another family. We are blessed to be able to do it."
It is a lot of work, said Payton Kirby, 10, of Pikeville. But it is fun, too.
"I got involved in it through my 4-H Club, the Boll Weevils, in Pikeville," she said. "It's just fun having animals and being able to raise them yourself.
Her two hogs are Oreo and Cookie.
"You are supposed to work with them every day for 45 minutes," she said. "So when my mom gets home we walk them to our road and back, about 20 minutes. We try to do it every day. I have showed for five and a half years."
Payton has shown goats in the past, but is not showing any this year.
As Payton was waiting her turn in the arena, her mother, Jenise Kirby, was spraying down Oreo with a special spray design to make her shine.
For John Tart watching the show brings back a lot of memories -- he showed animals for many years as a youth.
Now in his 60s and as a member of the Wayne County Livestock Development Association that owns and operates the fair, he works with the program.
"It gives students a lot of education, leadership," he said. "It gets them where they are not afraid to get out in front of a crowd and talk. It is just a good experience for them.
"It is a lot of work. They could be doing other things -- watching TV, being on the computer, but this is good for them. It gives them a lot of understanding about animals and competition. It is just a good experience for them."
The fair opens at 4 p.m. and the Powers Great American midway at 5 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. and noon on Saturdays and 1 p.m. for both on Sunday.
There is no official closing time, although the fair does not stay open past midnight.
Fair officials evaluate how many people are on the grounds, how many people are enjoying the rides, the food, the games before deciding when to close.
On weeknights that might be 10:30 p.m. or 11 p.m., he said. But on a Saturday night it might be midnight.
Winners from the hog show and other opening-night contests will be featured in Sunday's News-Argus.
For a complete schedule, visit www.waynefair.com/schedule.