WEST ALLIS — The competition is fierce, and calling it intense might be an understatement.
Junior exhibitors at the Wisconsin State Fair are competing in pig showmanship — an event where teenagers train for months alongside a gilt, which is a female pig before it has given birth, preparing for a single moment in the show ring.
"(I'm) one of those people that get very intense in the show ring," Audrey Gartman, one of the junior exhibitors, said.
"Because everybody just, like, wants to win," Kaitlyn Liszewski, a junior exhibitor, said.
"Yes, it's very competitive," Rose Hasenohrl, a junior exhibitor, said.
Competitors are judged not on the pig itself, but on how they handle it. Judges score exhibitors on pace, confidence, eye contact, whip control, presentation, and the angles they show of their pig.
Watch the story to see the intense stares from all the competitors...
"They're not judging your pig. They're judging how you walk your pig, so it's all on me," Gartman said.
Gartman, a two-time runner-up, said she even had to adjust her approach after previous competitions.
"I was docked because I was too intense, so I've calmed down," Gartman said.
Preparation begins well before competitors enter the ring. Just before the contest starts, exhibitors make final grooming touches, and that includes the pigs.
"We, you know, get them up, brush all the shavings off. We put oil on them to make their hair shiny and stand out. And a lot of people are using paint nowadays to make their colors pop," Owen Fleming said.
Once inside the ring, competitors describe entering a focused mental state where the crowd fades away.
"When you go in the show ring, you just get into, like, a zone of presenting your pig," Judy Jentges, another junior exhibitor, said.
Strategy plays a major role once the competition is underway. Exhibitors work to position themselves and their pigs in front of the judge, navigating a crowded ring to find any advantage.
"So it's like everybody that's out there in the ring is all trying to drive at the judge with your pig. And it gets a little jumbled up there a lot of times, so you're trying to find the gaps to kind of beat them to the judge," Hasenohrl said.
Competitors are eliminated one by one. The tension builds. Just a small group is left. The smallest mistake or slightest error can be the difference between taking home a ribbon and going home empty-handed.
For Gartman, the victory was the culmination of years of work.
"I'm shocked, I guess. I was not expecting to win today. I'm really happy, too. It's been one of my goals for a long time, is to win my age group down at State Fair. I think it's a big deal," Gartman said.
The state fair is considered the top level of competition for many junior exhibitors who spent years competing on the county fair circuit before earning a spot here. But winning comes with added pressure — Gartman said she now feels the weight of defending her title.
This story was reported on-air by James Groh and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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