As the young showmen drive their hogs around the show ring they all intently look at the judge and make every turn smoothly and at the perfect time.
Every showman has their own way of doing things, but each one makes an impression on the judge. The crowd sets on the edge of their seats wondering who will be chosen as the grade champion showman.
Right as the intensity is rising the judge goes in to shake the hand of the grand champion showman.
“I love the thrill of being in the arena,” One showman said. “It gave me an adrenaline rush every time I stepped in it for showtime.”
December is always a busy time for everyone as Christmas spirit fills the air, but it is especially busy for a certain few 4-H members in Union County as it is “Swine time in Tennessee.”
This is a time where the members of the Union County 4-H Swine Project come together to show off their prized pigs.
This has been an active project area in the community for numerous years as it has been the county extension office’s largest livestock project at times.
This year, Union County had three showmen Abigail Foust, a recently graduated student from Union County High School, Ben Woods, an 8th grader and Zeeva Boucher a 6th grader.
These three showmen competed at the county show on Friday, December 10, and at the Eastern Region show on Saturday, December 11.
Due to every showman being in a different age category the county showmanship class was used as a clinic for younger members to get a few pointers from the judge.
The showmen then moved onto the market hog show where Abigail Foust brought home the Union County Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion Market Hogs.
During showmanship, Woods and Boucher were able to take home some advice from the judge as well as how to improve for their next show. While this was their first time in the show ring their smiles said it all as they walked their pig around the show ring, truly having fun and learning.
As Saturday morning rolled around, Foust did not miss a beat as she placed in the top five in the regional showmanship category amongst some of the best swine showmen in the state.
As the day continued, all three showmen did well in their respective market hog classes and have high hopes for the state swine show.
Foust has shown hogs since the 4th grade and has been involved in numerous other 4-H activities for as long as she can remember.
Foust was a frequent visitor at the county’s extension office before she was even an active member.
Foust graduated from Union County High School this winter and will walk across the stage in the spring. She plans to continue her education by getting a bachelor’s degree in animal science.
“It is a self-confidence booster,” Foust said. “I learned responsibility and that hard work pays off in the end.”
Through the swine project, students can gain key skills that will help them further in life than just the show ring.
Similarly to Foust, numerous students have left the program with numerous successes behind them and numerous opportunities ahead.
The current students involved in this project have one last show before the season is over as some of them will travel to Cookeville, Tennessee to show at the state 4-H swine show.
For anyone who may be interested in the swine project or other aspects of 4-H, community members can contact the Union County Extension Office by calling the office at (865) 992-8038 or through emailing Shannon Dewitt at sdewitt@utk.edu.