NAILE draws 722 pigs in purebred and market classes

The 2010 North American International Grand Champion Overall Market Hog was the Medium Weight Crossbred exhibited by Aaron Muegge, Greenfield, Ind.

The North American International Livestock Exposition Swine Department set an all time record in numbers this past Sunday and Monday, Nov. 7-8, with 722 pigs on the grounds for their swine showmanship contest and purebred and crossbred market shows. Junior exhibitors, all required to be members of either the National Junior Swine Association or Team Purebred, numbered 370 and traveled with their pigs from 17 states to Louisville, Ky.

In the Junior Market Swine Show, there were 20 purebred classes, representing eight breeds: Berkshire, Chester White, Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace, Poland China, Spotted, and Yorkshire, and three divisions of crossbred market pigs.

Supreme Champion Overall was selected from the champion of each division following the crossbred show.

Grand Champion Overall came out of the Medium Weight Crossbreds exhibited by Aaron Muegge, Greenfield, Ind., and Reserve Grand Champion was a Duroc, exhibited by Austin Bertolino, Witt, Ill.

The Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion sell in the Sale of Champions on Thursday, Nov. 18, at 6 p.m.

"We had an excellent show, and great numbers for 2010," said Dennis Liptrap, of Nicholasville, Ky., NAILE Swine Superintendent. Liptrap attributed the high numbers to exhibitors who come back year after year, and who also encourage their friends to attend.

Liptrap has been the swine superintendent since the first swine show at the NAILE in 1977.

“If they [the exhibitors and families] didn’t have fun, I wouldn’t have stuck with it so long,” Liptrap said.

The swine department tries to meet the needs of the exhibitors and continually change the show however necessary to make NAILE a good experience for families that come.

Written in part by Renee Deuth for the NAILE