Teagen Flint is captivated by the science of raising pigs. She’s looked at what traits make a good show pig and compared the costs of the pigs she’s shown for the last eight years at the Northwest Montana Fair.  

Flint, 16, along with her fellow competitors, was in the show ring on Monday at the Trade Center at the Flathead County Fairgrounds as the livestock competitions began for the week.  

“It teaches you a lot of skills for the future,” Flint said while standing near her pig, Paisley. “You have to buy feed. Be smart about money. If you go on vacation, you have to find someone to cover the chores for you. It teaches you a lot.” 

It was standing room only, as fairgoers gathered to watch the showmanship competition, with dozens of competitors lining up with their pigs waiting their turn to enter the ring.  

As the Class 1 Senior Showman entered the ring for the first showing of the day, Flint walked around the ring, making eye contact with the judge and using a pig whip to direct Paisley in the right direction. Flint gained the attention of the judge immediately.  

Back inside one of the pens, Flint was showing off another pig, Ranger, a sow with piglets who were just over a week old. A senior at Flathead High School, Flint hopes to study biology and genetics after graduating.  

“There is a lot of value here,” said Karly Hanson, the judge of the showmanship competition, who herself showed sheep for 10 years at the Northwest Montana Fair. “It’s a way to encourage kids to look beyond the show ring and into the industry.” 

Most kids, when asked about their pigs, share a similar sentiment: it’s incredible to watch the animal grow up and develop a personality.  

Standing in a pen early Monday morning, Madisyn Mackin, 11, was feeding her pig Delilah a favorite snack of marshmallows. Mackin, a student at Helena Flats School, was also giving her pig a favorite spa treatment by cleaning its ears.  

“We had a spare pig too, and she spent time raising the both of them,” Mackin’s father, Jordan Mackin, said. “It’s a lot of dedication.” 

And at the end of the day, it’s fun, Madisyn Mackin said.  

Marty Fritz, a classmate of Mackin’s, was in the pen next to her with his pig, Mighty Mouse. When the gray pig was younger, he looked like a mouse, Fritz said, thus inspiring his name. For him, the best part of raising a pig has also been watching the personality develop.  

Mighty Mouse, like Delilah, also loves marshmallows.  

“Seeing him get used to animals, appreciate animals and care for animals... well it’s something you can’t get from an iPad or anything else,” Fritz’s father Chris said, watching Fritz brush Mighty Mouse.  

Nearby, a plump orange and brown pig named Pumpkin was taking a nap while its owner, Jett Bartholomew, 12, stood by before the start of the first group.   

“She’s so lazy, it’s cute. She’s a really good walker too. She’s the calmest pig I’ve had,” Bartholomew said. This is his fourth year showing pigs.  

He hopes he gets a good ribbon, he said with a smile, like most who compete.  

But showmanship is more than a buckle, a ribbon or a check, judge Hanson said. It’s about the value of hard work and the camaraderie of agriculture.  

“[With each show], I learned the value of hard work, what it means to stand with integrity, how to accept evaluation with humility and the blood, sweat and tears that go into these projects,” Hanson said. 

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or [email protected]. 

     Competitors work with their pigs during the swine showmanship competition Aug. 11 inside the Trade Center at the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo. (Heidi Desch/Daily Inter Lake)