JOHN SMITH AND THE PIG
By Bub Murdock

I don't remember what year it was but I think we were Freshmen. We were at the Custer County fair and they were going to give away three fine Yorkshire pigs which could be fed and brought back to the fair the next year for showing. Each FFA chapter could only enter one person in this event and there were a lot of us from the Hammon chapter at the fair. We all agreed that John Smith should be our chosen one to chase the pig.

In order to win a pig, the chapter member had to catch the pig and bring it back across the starting line. One big catch. All the pigs were greased and fast and feisty.

About twelve boys lined up at the starting line and they turned the three pigs loose in the arena. Then they let the boys go. Boys were running everywhere and pigs were squealing as the dust began to fly and hang over the show ring. The first two pigs were caught quicker than I expected and the boys carried them across the finish line, grasping their heads and feet.

This left one pig and ten boys running all over the arena. One boy got a hold on the last pig and almost had him under control when John came in on them in a hard dive. He completely knocked the boy off the pig and secured a hammer lock on the pig. He was facing the belly of the pig and had his legs locked around the pig’s head with his arms around the loins of the pig. This left John facing the business end of this male pig.

We all wondered how John would rearrange himself to get the pig across the line. I don't think that this ever entered his mind. He didn't change a thing. He just squeezed tighter.

John still has the first nickel he ever earned and on that day was not about to take a chance on letting that pig get away. So how do you move a pig a hundred feet in such a position? You wiggle your body and move along a few small inches each time.

John wiggled and wiggled and wiggled and the pig wiggled and wiggled and wiggled. By this time there were at least a hundred people gathered around the ring to watch this determined and tenacious boy win his prize. They were laughing and cheering him on to the finish line.

So John squeezed tighter as the pig tried to break its grip and about half way to the line the pig peed and peed and peed. It was going in John’s face, on his mouth and into his nose and eyes. Did John let go? NO NEVER. He closed his eyes and turned his face a little and wiggled across the line.

I determined then that what ever John gained in life he would always have. He earned the pig that day and also the respect of many people. We were all glad for him and enjoyed that event.