Waking up today was just a little bit different than yesterday. Today was the first day since March of 2006 (nearly 10 years) that I didn’t own any Hampshire cross pigs. I remember how excited I was when I brought home my first gilt, named Shanae. I loved my pigs, and Shanae went on to be the Reserve Grand Champion Bred & Fed at the Delta County Fair that year.
I decided to keep her to breed her, with the help of my parents purchasing her at the Fair Sale, and that’s when I started Champion Livestock​. I remember when her first litter of pigs was born, and how excited I was. The sows then moved to Fort Collins with me in the fall of 2007, and I started to grow my herd, having 10 sows at one point. I was able to continue showing until I was 21.
Showing the pigs sparked my love for the stock show industry. When I aged out of showing hogs, I found goats, and have been hooked ever since.
Over the years I found that I was enjoying the goats more than I was enjoying the hogs, and I started to phase out of producing show pigs. About this time last year I decided to stop breeding, and sold down to just 2 sows plus the piglets I was feeding out. I vowed to keep Lady, my last sow out of Shanae, until she passed, which happened just a few days ago. Yesterday, I sold my last sow, so she could go on to be a breeder for someone else.
I certainly enjoyed raising pigs, and maybe one day in the future will try it again. I don’t think I would have found my love for goats if it wouldn’t have been for the pigs, and I don’t know if I would have started The Show Wether​ without falling in love with the stock show industry.
I still love pigs, and have kept my pot belly sow, and she will remain here. We plan on always having a pot belly for my pig fix. I owe a lot to the pigs over the last 10 years, and am excited to see what the future holds for my sheep and goat enterprises.