Prize-winning youth: Ragland Elementary students boast state agricultural awards

Published 4:30 pm Friday, February 5, 2010

Pigs are running and playing on a cool evening in Ragland as Brody Bice and his father, Allen, demonstrate the skills that helped Brody win Novice Showmanship at the 2010 Alabama State Youth Market Hog Show in Montgomery recently.

The show season runs from October to mid-January and Allen said it is an inexpensive and educational hobby.

“The average cost for these pigs is $150-200 but kids can pay up to $400-$500 if they’d like. The pig that we won the state with was a $150 pig. We didn’t go out and spend a lot of money,” Allen explained.

It also costs about $200-250 to feed the pigs per season and Brody’s winnings this year will more than cover the costs. He is looking at bringing in around $600 in show money.

In a state and county where athletics are as popular as anything else, showing these hogs is convenient because the shows can be participated in along side a kid’s usual sports like football and basketball. You do not have to be a pig expert either.

“You don’t have to grow up knowing pigs,” Allen said. “This is our second year. It can be learned in a very short time. All you need is a 8×10 pen with a top over it, just like a dog kennel. If you have that you’re good to go. It’s not rocket science.”

Brody participated in five shows this year. He went to shows in Montgomery, Wetumpka Dothan and Perry, Georgia.

The Bice’s also plan on making it over to Jackson, Mississippi for a show in mid-February.

Brody, who is a second grader at Ragland Elementary, does not hesitate when asked what his favorite part of the shows is. “Showmanship,” he said. Showmanship consists of driving pigs by using a long object like a walking stick and making them go where you want. The pigs are touched with the stick on the shoulder to make them turn left or right and tapped on their behinds or in front of their eyes to make them stop or go.

“He’s not old enough to drive a car but he can drive a pig,” Allen joked. “You’ve got to be able to control them and make them go where you want them to. That’s where he’s really prided himself, in showmanship.” Brody won state in showmanship and all three of his market hogs won their respective classes.

According to Allen, the shows are family oriented and on show days you are not locked into the hogs the entire day. There are usually other things going on and plenty to do.

The Bice’s neighbor, Bailey Wyatt, also shows hogs and is a first grader at Ragland. He, along with Brody, placed in the top two in a majority of the shows this year. Allen said that there are several kids in St. Clair County who are real active in the shows and as an Ag teacher at Talladega, he would like to see more kids get involved in this type of activity.

“A parent doesn’t have to know how to do it. Ag teachers can help the students. We’ll all work with anybody,” Allen said.

It is not just about driving the pigs at the shows, the judges ask questions about the entries and Brody can tell you a lot about these animals.

What is the most important nutrient in a pigs diet? Water. How much does his heavyweight champion hog Red Rooster weigh? 282 pounds. How much do they eat a day? Four to six pounds of food.

Red Rooster gained 25 pounds over the last eight days before the show.

“He just popped,” Allen said. “These pigs are like athletes. Genetics and nutrition are the two things that make a show pig.”

What are the judges looking for? Allen said think about a bodybuilding contest. The judges want to see muscle and structure.

Of course, the end result of these hogs is food and Allen said Brody understands that. Even though these animals are “just big ole loveable pets,” according to Allen.

“You just turn them loose and Brody plays with them in the yard. They’re like dogs. They bark like dogs. They won’t leave. If we had an emergency and had to leave they’d just lay in the flowerbeds.”