Plenty of highs, lows raising livestock for show

TOPPENISH, Wash. -- This year, both of Julia Hill's pigs made it past the weigh-in at the Central Washington Junior Livestock Show.

She is just one of many contestants across the Yakima Valley who brought cows, pigs and lambs totaling more than 400 in all to the Toppenish Fairgrounds on Sunday for the 60th annual event.

But this year is a stark contrast compared to her first year raising pigs, an experience she says she'll never forget.

It was a hot day three years ago, and her pig was nearly overweight. So she didn't give it any food or water that day until the weigh-in.

So spent, the pig collapsed while she walked it onto the scale.

"I just started crying," recalled the White Swan High School junior. "They made me (give the pig water) until it (eventually) died. I just cried."

That wasn't the only first-year mishap the Hill family faced raising pigs. Her sister, Cassie Hill, began raising pigs last year.

But the White Swan freshman found keeping her pigs in the same pen as her older sister a bit challenging.

One of her sister's pigs stepped on her pig's neck.

"And it died," she quipped as she looked up from the record book she was keeping on her two pigs this year.

Despite the folly, Cassie managed to get another pig and earned a silver -- or second place -- in a pre-show contest at White Swan High.

"I would have gotten gold, but before the show (the pig) rolled in the mud," she said.

But at the Junior Livestock Show last year, the same pig earned gold, and it sold for about $300.

Those payouts aren't bad, considering that a baby pig costs about $85, and feed runs about $100, Julia said.

"So, you can make some money," she said as she logged the weight, shots, and the cost of feed for her pigs and the time she spent with them into her record book.

"You have to put down everything," she said.

This year, the number of animals is down a bit. Last year, more than 400 animals made it to sale, and this year organizers anticipate about 350 making it past the weigh-in, said show manager Ken Stroud.

"The feed is up a little bit this year," he said. "That's probably has something to do with the numbers being a little bit down this year."

Today, there will be fitting and showing and animals will be judged. On Tuesday, Grand Champions will be selected, with a sale following on Wednesday.

Junior Livestock Show

* Today

8:45-9:15 -- Fitting and showing.

9:30-11:00 -- Judging of six classes of market stock.

12:30-5 p.m. -- Judging of steers, pigs and lambs.

* Tuesday

8-10 a.m. -- Selection of Grand Champions.

10:30 -- Fitting and showing of pigs, lambs.

Noon -- Fitting and showing of steers.

* Wednesday

8 a.m. -- Presentation of Special Awards Sales Arena.

9 a.m. -- Sale begins.

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