JEFFERSON - - It was hot and just plain hot Wednesday at the Ashtabula County Fair.
The 80-degree-plus temperatures delayed the start of the annual Junior Fair Swine Showmanship competition and Hog Show.
The MAC Arena was standing room only by 6 p.m. when the swine showmanship show competition began for county 4-H clubs and Future Farmers of America entries. Even large fans inside the building didn't help cool things.
For Rebecca Savel, 18, of Cherry Valley the night's competition was her last in the showmanship and hog weight classes. She later ended up winning second place in her age class.
"I'm in the experienced round for 17 and 18-year-olds. My blue butt hog is a cross-breed and my brother Steve also is competing with me," Rebecca said wiping sweat off her brow.
"It's been so hot that the committee moved both shows to 6 p.m. I'm in the first round for showmanship and the last round in the weight classes," she said.
A 2006 graduate of Pymatuning Valley High School, Rebecca attends Murray State University in southwestern Kentucky. She entered the fair as a member of the PV FFA chapter with her 283- pound hog, which will be sold Friday at 3 p.m. during the Junior Fair market animal auction.
"All the hogs in these Junior Fair class competition are sold at Friday's sale. I just call this hog Bud because I usually don't name the animals I've raised over the years," she said.
Rebecca explained the judging procedures done in the nearby sawdust floor ring. Six to nine hogs all come in at once for each round depending on the ages of the animal owners.
"It was so hot today that all of us were busy hosing the animals down. Hogs do not have sweat glands. That's why they will roll in the mud or the ring sawdust. In the show ring hogs get crazy, running all over as you use a cane or small stick to lead them past the judge," Rebecca said.
She was right about pigs going nutty entering the large ring. They grunted, squealed and some even knocked over their young owners as they ran around.
In the first round in the experienced showmen class, first place was won by Beth Jackson, second place went to Rebecca Savel. Other winners in the class included Danielle Lautanen-third; Ryan Dougherty, fourth; Steve Savel, fifth; and Jon Benton, sixth.
It was a long night for judge, Dustin Ehrman, as the large numbers of participants took both shows past 10 p.m.
"I want to judge these shows some day when I get out of college. My plans are to be a voc-agriculture teacher," Rebecca said afterwards talking with her PVHS teacher, Karen Cooley.
Cooley is advisor for the school's FFA chapter.
Local News
High temps delay Junior Fair's swine shows
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