The Friday morning Junior and Open Swine shows brought in the largest spectator crowd thus far this week. Open shows are open to the public and draw participants not only from Logan County, but from all over the state.

Participants may or may not also be in 4-H. For livestock producers, gathering ribbons is more than just bragging rights. When marketing breeding stock, wins are as important on an animal's "resume" as education is on a person's.
 

Pictures by Nila Smith

Many of the spectators brought their lawn chairs in order to sit along the area's edge for a closer view.

With many participants involved, the arena was divided into two pens, and two classes showed simultaneously to keep things moving as quickly as possible.

This little guy is only 4 years old and made his debut this year showing hogs.

And he did pretty darn well, getting a white ribbon in his first show. In the ring but standing off to the side was his dad, who kept a proud and watchful eye on his little guy.

These are two very young trainers herding their hogs across the arena, but they are not the youngest.

Sometimes a traffic cop could come in handy in the pens.

Showing livestock "back in the day" was pretty much an all-male event, but today….

...there are as many, if not more, young women in the arena.

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