Last week I spent most of my free time watching the Junior and Open show of the World Pork Expo, one of the largest pig shows in the country hosting close to 1,000 kids from over 30 different states who represent 8 breeds and crossbreds. As someone who was raised in the show pig industry since basically birth I've seen the different trends that happen in the ring overtime. The show industry has made so many changes within the past 20 years that it's almost comical to compare winners from the 1990s to today's champions. While a lot of the changes have served a purpose, there is one show ring trend that really makes me question about the logic behind it: head jacking.
As a showmen I get why we do it. It is aesthetically pleasing to the judges eye. When their head is in the air, their top is level, the belly drops, and their loin muscles pop. It helps complete a balanced look and can help cover up flaws such as a top that isn't naturally jet level. I will be the first to admit we practice it in our show barn everyday so we can prepared for show day. My sister and I are constantly asking each other how the head looks as we're driving and spend hours trying to get it to look just right. We have the ringside hand signals that tell the one driving to either "get the head up" or "head looks good". But I also have the hand signals that say "quit fighting the head and let the damn thing drive". My time studying animal science and interest in consumer education has made me question if this is really what we as an industry need to be focused on?
Too often then not I watch kids who have been told that getting the head up is the most important thing for the showring. Unfortunately this can lead to too much emphasis on getting the head up and not enough on keeping the hog moving at a decent pace. They hit the front of the hog so much the hog stops moving forward. Older and more experienced showmen are better trained on finding the right balance of getting the head up and keeping them moving. However, for young showmen it can be overwhelming and hard to find that balance. This leads to the hog getting confused or agitated on what they are being asked to do so they start to fight the whip and break down, which can have a negative affect on how they're motoring around the ring. Their minor basic build flaws become exaggerated and the more they fight, the worse it gets.
I have some reservations from an animal welfare aspect too. Think about it: how natural is it for you to walk around looking at the ceiling? With practice you can do it for awhile, but eventually you're going to get tired and want to put it down. I've seen plenty of hogs that start to break down and fight the whip because they get tired of constantly straining their neck, which leads to frustration for the showmen. This frustration can sometimes lead to the showmen hitting harder and the aggression can be a little excessive. The harder they hit, the more red marks start to form around the hogs jowl and sides, especially on white hogs. Now, I know the marks don't really hurt the hog, but that's because I've been around hogs and know how tough they are. But if I was the average American 3 generations removed from the farm who was watching the pig show at my local county or state fair I might be concerned as to what was happening to that hog. It only takes one bad picture from PETA or HSUS on social media to give our industry a bad reputation which ultimately affects the commercial industry by association. Fairs are the only time most of Americans see pigs in person, so they make a lot of assumptions from that exposure. As representatives of the whole swine industry we have to ensure that exposure is a positive one.
I am am not trying to condemn those showmen who jack up heads. My sister and I do it too because we understand the benefits in the showring that come with it. It just helps you have a quality showpig image. There are a lot of showmen who put in enough time at home that it doesn't cause any problems at the show. There are also a lot of hogs that don't need their nose point to the ceiling to look good and do well in the ring. I am just trying to see if there is anyone else out there who have had these thoughts too and if this trend should be as heavily emphasized as it is right now? Also, if the cons out weigh the pros how do we stray away from the trend? Or if the pros out weigh the cons, how do we keep the trend while mainting good PR? Please comment your thoughts!
As a showmen I get why we do it. It is aesthetically pleasing to the judges eye. When their head is in the air, their top is level, the belly drops, and their loin muscles pop. It helps complete a balanced look and can help cover up flaws such as a top that isn't naturally jet level. I will be the first to admit we practice it in our show barn everyday so we can prepared for show day. My sister and I are constantly asking each other how the head looks as we're driving and spend hours trying to get it to look just right. We have the ringside hand signals that tell the one driving to either "get the head up" or "head looks good". But I also have the hand signals that say "quit fighting the head and let the damn thing drive". My time studying animal science and interest in consumer education has made me question if this is really what we as an industry need to be focused on?
Too often then not I watch kids who have been told that getting the head up is the most important thing for the showring. Unfortunately this can lead to too much emphasis on getting the head up and not enough on keeping the hog moving at a decent pace. They hit the front of the hog so much the hog stops moving forward. Older and more experienced showmen are better trained on finding the right balance of getting the head up and keeping them moving. However, for young showmen it can be overwhelming and hard to find that balance. This leads to the hog getting confused or agitated on what they are being asked to do so they start to fight the whip and break down, which can have a negative affect on how they're motoring around the ring. Their minor basic build flaws become exaggerated and the more they fight, the worse it gets.
I have some reservations from an animal welfare aspect too. Think about it: how natural is it for you to walk around looking at the ceiling? With practice you can do it for awhile, but eventually you're going to get tired and want to put it down. I've seen plenty of hogs that start to break down and fight the whip because they get tired of constantly straining their neck, which leads to frustration for the showmen. This frustration can sometimes lead to the showmen hitting harder and the aggression can be a little excessive. The harder they hit, the more red marks start to form around the hogs jowl and sides, especially on white hogs. Now, I know the marks don't really hurt the hog, but that's because I've been around hogs and know how tough they are. But if I was the average American 3 generations removed from the farm who was watching the pig show at my local county or state fair I might be concerned as to what was happening to that hog. It only takes one bad picture from PETA or HSUS on social media to give our industry a bad reputation which ultimately affects the commercial industry by association. Fairs are the only time most of Americans see pigs in person, so they make a lot of assumptions from that exposure. As representatives of the whole swine industry we have to ensure that exposure is a positive one.
I am am not trying to condemn those showmen who jack up heads. My sister and I do it too because we understand the benefits in the showring that come with it. It just helps you have a quality showpig image. There are a lot of showmen who put in enough time at home that it doesn't cause any problems at the show. There are also a lot of hogs that don't need their nose point to the ceiling to look good and do well in the ring. I am just trying to see if there is anyone else out there who have had these thoughts too and if this trend should be as heavily emphasized as it is right now? Also, if the cons out weigh the pros how do we stray away from the trend? Or if the pros out weigh the cons, how do we keep the trend while mainting good PR? Please comment your thoughts!