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Photographs
by
Matt Miller/DN
Photos (from top to bottom)
WINNER TAKES THE OREO -
Leonardo DiPigrio, Kevin Bacon,
Forrest Grunt and Elvis Pigsley race
down the home stretch during the
pig race at the Nebraska State Fair
on Wednesday. The swine didn’t
break a sweat.
IT ISN’T A CATTLE DRIVE, but first
time race assistant Bill Burke had
his hands full corralling the sows
after a close race. The Des Moines,
Iowa, resident didn’t specialize in
pigs; he trains goats and ducks as
well.
SOO-WHEE. RUN PIGGY, RUN. Millie
Welton of Ashland cheers on the
piglets. After she put her pompoms
down, Welton confessed she was a
rookie cheerleader.
Racing hogs ham it up at state fair
■ By Sarah Baker
Senior staff writer
Amidst the people riding in circles on
the tractor-pulled trolley, past the booths
with toothless vendors and the funnel cake
stand lies the real gem of the Nebraska
State Fair.
The pig racing track.
Hendrick’s Racing Pigs, who made
three performances at the fair yesterday,
ran their curly tails off not for the random
ly chosen cheerleaders on the track, not for
die wild, screaming 10-year-old crowd, but
for the coveted Oreo cookie at the end of
the lane.
The pigs, who carry creative names
such as Leonardo DiPigrio, Monica
Sowinsky and, appropriately enough,
Kevin Bacon, were all part otva mad act
with two hillbilly wannabes in the lead.
Joe Hendrick, owner of the traveling
act, and his daughter’s boyfriend Bill
Burke, pose as hicks from the sticks who
train farm animals.
Hendrick has been training pigs, along
with goats and ducks, for the past 15 years.
He said the act travels with fairs all across
the United States.
“It’s been pretty successful,” Hendrick
said. “Grandmas, grandpas, kids, they all
love it. I like to say it’s for kids of all ages.”
Amongst the background clamor of
“Old MacDonald Had a Farm” blasting
over a tiny radio, Hendrick randomly chose
four “cheerleaders” from the audience of
about 200 spectators.
The four lucky women were bestowed
with “shakers” meant to encourage the
piglets to shimmy down the track.
Hendrick kept the entertainment clean.
«
I like to say its for
kids of all ages.”
Joe Hendrick
owner, Hendrick’s Racing Pigs
“Just shake your shakers, not every
thing else, Irma!” he hollered, giving the
adults a laugh.
Burke then released the pigs from the
trailer filled with squawking farm animals,
and donned them with their red, yellow,
blue and white numbers.
Much to the delight of the crowd, the
pigs burst out of the gates for a false start,
and before they could be stopped, attacked
the defenseless Oreo in seconds flat.
Fortunately, no one was disqualified,
and all the pigs snagged an extra treat.
After the rampant pigs were back in the
gate, the actual races began.
Three heats of pigs then began running
the races, boy pigs followed by girl pigs,
and last of all, political pigs - with names
the like of A1 Boar.
The audience was brimming with chil
dren, the fans ranging in age from 3 to 13.
Most found the races entertaining.
“I’ve never been here before, but I like
numbers three and four to win,” said Devin
Mickey, a tiny fan from Lincoln.
Some weren’t so impressed.
“I’ve seen a pig race before where a pig
got three cookies,” said Rachel Johnson
from Stromsburg. “And my pigs at home
run all over like that.”
Most of the adults at the race said they
were there not to personally see the races,
but to entertain the children accompanying
them.
“I try to bring the kids to the state fair
every year,” said Bonnie Mickey, also from
Stromsburg. “It’s a lot of fun for them,
especially stuff like this.”
Hendrick said he trains his animals by
repetitively making them run around the
track until they “just keep goin’.”
He added that the ducks are the hardest
to train.
Hendrick said the animal show idea
wasn’t originally his, but when he saw the
show and thought it had potential he
picked it up.
“People just like pigs,” Hendrick said.
“They’re cute.”
