The cowbell clanged and the swine took off. Waiting just around the corner for the fastest pig was an Oreo cookie.
Spectators went hog wild – forgive the expression – at the Ham Bone Express Pig Race, one of many unusual events at the Lake County Fair in Grayslake, which runs through Sunday.
Four pigs were being cheered on, with the dubious prize for the winner’s cheerleader being the chance to wear a plastic pig snout and do a wiggly dance in front of the crowd.
Of course, fair-goers can enjoy carnival rides, funnel cakes, monster truck pulls, demolition derbies, live music and more, but the heart of the 90th version of the fair is the animals, including rabbits, chickens, horses, cows, lambs, goats and pigs.
“Where else can you go and watch four pigs in a race?” said Nicole Bingham, who came with her son, Logan, 6, from Northbrook.
Logan said his favorite part of the pig races, with four short heats lasting about a minute each, is when the swine he’s rooting for wins – and gets the cookie.
Charlie and Carol Boger have run Ham Bone Express Pig Racing for two years. Charlie Boger uses a southern accent to incite the crowd about the pigs named for famous people, including Roseanne Boar and Ba-rack-of-ribs Obama – all in good fun, he said.
Youngsters who want to get closer to the swine can visit the nearby petting zoo. Several baby pigs sniffed for food and allowed tiny hands to pet them as parents whispered, “Watch out for the poop.”
At the swine barn, MacKenzie Thom of Jefferson, Wis., was hosing down and brushing her pig named Susan for the market class judging.
“She’s crazy and sassy,” said MacKenzie. “She likes to run when she’s supposed to walk.” MacKenzie came to the fair with her aunt Katelyn Thom and her friend, Mackenzy Meschke, who said she earlier won first place with her pig at the Jefferson County Fair in Wisconsin.
They key to producing a good pig for market is feeding it properly and walking it daily, working to keep its head high, MacKenzie said.
“The judges look for structure,” she said.
“It’s about genetics,” Thom said. If mom was a winner, chances are junior will also be a winner.
By July 26, Marissa Montsinger from Glenview had won a first place for showmanship with one of her pigs. The next judging event was for her pig, Jammy, in the market division. She shares duties with three other friends, including Abby Coleman, from Glenview.
“We have to walk an hour every day and the judges watch how they respond to us,” Marissa said.
Cows are pulled by a harness, but pigs are herded along by their owners with a long stick, said Marissa, who has been showing various animals for 10 years at the fair.
Judge Tyler Tonkin watched the youngsters as they walked in a small arena, hoping their pigs would do them right. In one market class, about 11 pigs and owners strutted around, with a couple of swine squealing and a few squabbling.
Tonkin said he checks the pigs for muscle strength. “They also have to have the proper amount of conditioning for taste,” he said, adding that’s layman’s term for just the right amount of fat.
On July 28, the pigs go to market.
Marissa admitted the first year she sold an animal — a steer — at the fair, “I cried.” It doesn’t bother her now, she said.
At the auction, chefs come to purchase the pigs, and others buy them for the local food pantry. Abby Coleman says she loves the auction.
“You’re there with your animal and there’s an auctioneer and everyone’s holding up their paddles,” she said.
Those wanting a little more pig love at the fair might consider buying some Polish pierogi stuffed with sauerkraut, mushrooms and bacon, from one of the many vendors. Abby says she loves bacon and pork chops.
For more information on fair events, go to https://lcfair.com.
