Fifth time’s the charm for market swine show contestant
Denise Marquez/News-Sun
LOVINGTON — This was the year for Katelyn Parsons who won grand champion at the market swine show Tuesday at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo.
Parsons, 12, with Enchantment 4-H Club brought home the dark purple banner with her 231-pound pig, Fatso.
Parsons said this is her fifth year showing pigs at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, and her first time placing as a grand champion.
“It feels amazing,” she said. “I’ve never won like that before.”
Fatso was named champion out of six other pigs in the medium heavy weight cross class.
During the grand champion judging, Parsons’ name was announced, but the 12-year-old didn’t realize her name was called by judge Frederick Uterly. When she realized she won grand champion, a big smile stretched across her face and she walked Fatso to its pen and petted her champion pig.
“They (the pigs) worked pretty well today,” Parsons said. “I work really hard with them. I pet them and hang out with them like we’re best friends.”
Taking home reserve grand champion was Aubree Young, 18, with High Lonesome 4-H. Young won champion in the heavyweight cross class with her 258 pound pig, beating out five other pigs.
Young said this is her last year showing animals at the fair and her first year showing pigs. She decided to show pigs after watching her siblings show them during past fairs.
“I’m really happy because it’s my first year doing pigs and my first win,” she said. “My siblings had done it and I decided since this is my last year showing, it would be nice to show pigs.”
Young said she worked hard to prepare her pig for the fair, and that hard work paid off.
“We washed our pigs everyday to help their hair grow. We condition them and we walk them up and down our road,” she said.
Young said she will also be showing lambs, goats and chickens throughout the rest of fair week.
