Prize-winner ways run in the family

One family made a clean sweep through the hog
competition, taking home the two top prizes.

By LAUREN POLINSKY

and ANGIE SCHMITT

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITERS

CANFIELD — Winning the grand champion hog competition was bittersweet for Amanda Smith.

As tears of joy and sadness rolled down her cheeks, she couldn’t help but think about her brother, J.R., who passed away three weeks before the 2005 Canfield Fair.

“We all wear yellow ribbons whenever we show our pigs,” the 16-year-old said.

Amanda’s hog beat out 162 others to win the title. It had to compete in three categories: showmanship, skills and overall meat quality determined by a judge.

The hog brought in $875 at auction and was bought by Henry Nemenz, of H.P. Nemenz Food Stores.

This is Amanda’s second time winning the grand champion ribbon — but she is no stranger to the winner’s circle.

“I have been showing pigs for eight years at this fair, and every year I have won the showmanship category,” Amanda said.

Sibling rivalry

She was not the only person in her family to take home a ribbon. Amanda’s younger brother, Jacob, won the reserve champion hog prize. His hog went for $450 at auction. It was also bought by H.P. Nemenz Food Stores.

This was the first win for the 10-year-old from Salem, but he made it perfectly clear that coming in second to his sister was not good enough.

“I will beat her next year,” Jacob said.

Amanda is just happy to be competing with her sibling.

“I am so speechless right now because I have been waiting for my brother to be able to show pigs so we could try and win double prizes,” she said.

The pig business does not stop with the Smith family kids, however: Their parents, Shelly and Roy, own a hog farm in Salem where Amanda and Jacob raise their prize-winning animals.

Amanda and Jacob encountered a few bumps along the path of raising their pigs from the 50 pounds at birth to their competition weight of 270 and 274 pounds, respectively. Amanda gave her first pig to her brother because his pig broke its leg. After choosing a second pig, Amanda learned that it was supposed to be sold — but after some pleading with her father, she was able to keep it.

Though it has been a pretty emotional journey to get to the winner’s circle, Amanda said showing her pigs at the Canfield Fair is a favorite for her.

“This is my home fair, so I love showing here. I am so relaxed here because I know everything about it,” she said.