Members of the Ohio Pork Council stood within gated pig pens under the cover of the O’Neill Swine Barn at the Ohio State Fair on Friday — coordinating the third annual Breaking Boundaries pig show.
The excitement of the participants was palpable as sections of bleacher stands filled with onlookers, cheering for their friends and family.
Participants in neon orange shirts were greeted by their mentors as they lined up on the concrete floor, cushioned with wood shavings or sawdust.
The pigs and their handlers were released from their pens in groups, allowing participants to navigate the show floor in phases.
This is all part of the Ohio State Fair's inclusive pig show event. It offered people between the ages of nine and 22 with intellectual or developmental disabilities the chance to show pigs in a fair arena.
Brian Baldridge, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, emceed this year’s Breaking Boundaries Pig Show.
He said watching the excited looks on participants' faces is what moves him each year.
“These young people are going have the show equipment that normal 4-H'ers and FFA'ers who are showing pigs on a regular basis, they're going to have — the guide stick, the brush, all those things,” he said.
Families from across the state came to participate or support their friends. Among them was AJ Genter, who traveled from Fulton County to support his daughter Ava.
"There's lots of things that the Ohio State Fair has provided for our family and so if we can give back, it's just another great opportunity,” he said.
Tom Ault also attended the event to support his daughters who hail from Jefferson County.
“My daughter Olivia is a participant. It was nice to see it, my youngest daughter organized something similar in our county fair,” he said.
Ault’s youngest daughter, Mimi, serves as a mentor at the Breaking Boundaries show and founded the Special Olympics Unified Livestock Show in Jefferson County.
“So, not only do we do pigs, but we also do rabbits and goats, too," Mimi Ault said. "And they get a clinic before to learn how to care for and show with also other animals that aren't in the show, like horses, dogs, and ducks.”
Heather Buyer of Fayette County has been participating in the Breaking Boundaries Pig Show with her 16-year-old son, Joel, for three years. Joel has cerebral palsy.
“Joel loves to show animals at our local county fair. He shows goats, and here he just gets an opportunity to show a pig," she said. "He's always very excited to come here, and he's been paired with Miley, his mentor, for three years as well, and he enjoys that.”
During my interview with Kelly Morgan, director of the OH-Pig circuit, Joel approached us, excited to meet everyone.
Joel Buyer: My name is Joel Buyer.
Shay Frank: Nice to meet you, I'm Shay Frank. I'm a reporter with a radio station in Ohio.
Kelly Morgan: This year you’re going to be on the radio, superstar, last year you were on TV!
Frank: How was today? Was it fun today?
Buyer: Yes.
Frank: Awesome, it looked really fun! Did you meet any cool pigs while you were here today?
Buyer: No.
Frank: No? Were they just big pigs, colorful pigs?
Buyer: Yes.
Joel’s mother joined our conversation to explain how he speaks through his eye movements on a communication board, fixed to his wheelchair.
“He drives his wheelchair using his head array. So that's how he's driving his chair around the ring," she said. "And then he has to be very aware of who's around him and how he is maneuvering.”
Cheryl Day, executive vice president of the Ohio Pork Council, said the Breaking Boundaries Pig Show started as the dream-child of former intern, Kylie Ramirez.
“We're just very thankful that the Ohio State Fair entrusts us to put on two very good, special shows and this is one of the shows and it really just warms our heart, because it's all about the kids,” she said.
