Our boys were in 4-H and they were in the hog project raising pure bred Poland Chinas. They were doing good. They had won first place at many shows in central Kansas. It was hard work but when fair time came around it was fun to watch the boys show their pigs.
The competition was rough at our county fair because our neighbor was an expert in showing hogs and very good in selecting the right one that the judge was looking for. He would show and help the boys get their pigs ready to show. He had a son and daughter that would be showing their pigs also. So if you would get grand champion you had a good pig.
There was a frail, elderly man from over 100 miles from us that would show up at almost all of the pig shows because he loved to show his pigs. He would stay at the fair grounds and ate pig feed. He was a good old guy and the kids liked him.
The boys bought their first Poland China gilts from Paul Davidson. They liked the looks of the Polands and there weren't as many of them as Durocs, Hampshires and Chester Whites. They bought their first boar from Ron Holling. You've heard the saying "worthless as teats on a boar". We found out that the teats on a boar are very important because the more teats the boar has the more his pigs will have. The boys had a Landrace sow that had 22 or 23 pigs. She had a big enough dinner table for all of them.
One time we went to a pig sale in Oklahoma. It was near one of Darlene's cousins so we took the whole family and stayed with them. We had a two wheeled trailer so we made stocks racks for it and pulled it with our car. We probably looked like some hillbillys but it was a good time in our life.
The boys ended up with a boot box full of mostly purple and blue ribbons. We ordered ball point pens with 'Hoesli Brothers Poland Chinas' on them which they would give away at pig shows.
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