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The new junior livestock pavilion at the Nevada County Fairgrounds overflowed early Thursday with the chatter of a large crowd and the squeals of big pigs as the 2009 swine judging began.
The Whitney Livestock Pavilion and the Henry McGonagle Auction Ring inside recently were completed in the space formerly occupied by the barns. Plans for the structure began several years ago, funded by private donations and fundraising by the Nevada County Fairgrounds Foundation.
“This is quite the pig palace,” event judge Rick Neugebauer of McArthur, Calif., said to the crowd, “This is a nice facility, and I hope that these kids take good care of it.”
Parents stood all around the outside of the ring armed with cameras as they waited for their children to enter the show ring.
“We're all very excited,” said FFA parent Lanette Gomes, wielding a video camera. “We've been involved in FFA for a little over a decade, and it's a fantastic program. They're learning good leadership and how to become good citizens. It's wonderful.”
The sawdust flew when the novice FFA showmen entered the ring. Two particularly energetic pigs hurled themselves out of the gate at top speed and across the show ring, one of them almost plowing into the legs of the judge.
Once the showmen got their swine back under control — a difficult task considering the pigs significantly outweigh their handlers — they were all smiles and jockeyed for position before the judge.
“I'm not picky,” Neugebauer said. “But there are about three things that I am particular about, and those are eye contact, your diving pattern and mechanics, and your ability to keep that pig out in front of me.”
Neugebauer offered a few tips to the first two classes of competitors on their showmanship, then placed them before moving on to the next group of young men and women in the queue — a procedure that continued most of the day.
“This is a four year project, culminating in one day,” Meadowlark 4-H Club swine leader Lacy Bruning said, noting her group's progress. “They're all doing great and really using what they have learned. And that's the reward.”
Places for the pigs and their handlers will be released in time for the livestock auction starting at 8 a.m. Sunday in the livestock pavilion.
Jerri Cuerden is an intern from the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno. Contact
her at jcuerden@theunion.com or
(530) 477- 4247.
The Whitney Livestock Pavilion and the Henry McGonagle Auction Ring inside recently were completed in the space formerly occupied by the barns. Plans for the structure began several years ago, funded by private donations and fundraising by the Nevada County Fairgrounds Foundation.
“This is quite the pig palace,” event judge Rick Neugebauer of McArthur, Calif., said to the crowd, “This is a nice facility, and I hope that these kids take good care of it.”
Parents stood all around the outside of the ring armed with cameras as they waited for their children to enter the show ring.
“We're all very excited,” said FFA parent Lanette Gomes, wielding a video camera. “We've been involved in FFA for a little over a decade, and it's a fantastic program. They're learning good leadership and how to become good citizens. It's wonderful.”
The sawdust flew when the novice FFA showmen entered the ring. Two particularly energetic pigs hurled themselves out of the gate at top speed and across the show ring, one of them almost plowing into the legs of the judge.
Once the showmen got their swine back under control — a difficult task considering the pigs significantly outweigh their handlers — they were all smiles and jockeyed for position before the judge.
“I'm not picky,” Neugebauer said. “But there are about three things that I am particular about, and those are eye contact, your diving pattern and mechanics, and your ability to keep that pig out in front of me.”
Neugebauer offered a few tips to the first two classes of competitors on their showmanship, then placed them before moving on to the next group of young men and women in the queue — a procedure that continued most of the day.
“This is a four year project, culminating in one day,” Meadowlark 4-H Club swine leader Lacy Bruning said, noting her group's progress. “They're all doing great and really using what they have learned. And that's the reward.”
Places for the pigs and their handlers will be released in time for the livestock auction starting at 8 a.m. Sunday in the livestock pavilion.
Jerri Cuerden is an intern from the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno. Contact
her at jcuerden@theunion.com or
(530) 477- 4247.
