08/16/2026
We are all unloaded and ready for 2nd session with the girls!! ❤️🐷
We really sucked at updating during the last session… 😂 We didn’t place last in class, but we didn’t place first either—and that is TOTALLY OKAY!
The first year I (Taly) came to the State Fair was in 2024. I had picked out a Duroc gilt with the plan to eventually turn her into a sow. At the time, I was honestly wanting out of the show pig world, so I didn’t have any huge expectations for her.
We hauled her to only two shows before the State Fair, and we wiped those shows out. Then we got to the State Fair and were told, “Don’t get your hopes up too high.” 😂
Junior day didn’t go quite how we wanted, and we placed 6th. Then open show day came around. I walked into the ring for my class and got pinned immediately. We ended up WINNING our class and headed back in for the Grand Drive, where there were a lot of really solid and competitive Duroc gilts.
I was told that just making it into the Grand Drive was an accomplishment and not to get down if things didn’t go the way we hoped.
Well… that day is one I will NEVER forget. ❤️
I had WON the Open Duroc Gilt Show!! Hearing my momma cheering from the stands and my dad cheering from home was a feeling I’ll never forget. It was absolutely crazy!
Coming into the next year, things weren’t quite as rewarding. It was still an absolute blast, but after the way my first year went, I think I was expecting that feeling to happen again.
Looking back, 2024 was a MIRACLE. That feeling is what keeps us coming back—the drive, the passion, and the want to feel it again.
We may not always win the banner, but we never lose when we step into the ring. We either LEARN or WIN. ❤️
Here’s to another session with the girls! Let’s make some more memories! 🐷❤️
