07/25/2026
This is the year, soaking it in.
For every senior exhibitor, there comes a moment they wish would never arrive.
One last walk to the ring at their state fair.
One last time adjusting the whip.
One last glance down the aisle before stepping into the staging pens.
For years, the dream has been the same—to raise the one, show the one, and maybe leave with the banner they've imagined hanging on their wall since they were a kid.
Maybe that dream comes true this summer. Maybe it doesn't.
But when the final class is called and the dust settles, the banner isn't what defines the journey.
It's the early mornings when no one was watching.
The late nights in the barn after a long day.
The lessons learned through wins, losses, heartbreak, and perseverance.
The friendships built, the memories made, and the responsibility carried every single day.
Those things don't leave when the show ends.
This may be the last time showing a pig at the state fair, but it's far from the end of the story.
Whether they walk away with the banner they dreamed of or not, the journey has already been worth it and the late nights in the barn and time in the ring was .
