Pig racing proves popular at fair

Keith Gushard, The Meadville Tribune, Pa.
·2 min read
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Aug. 23—WEST MEAD TOWNSHIP — Each race, the four contestants scramble out of the starting gate at breakneck speed, but not for money or glory.

"They hammer this track at blazing speed for an Oreo cookie — waiting to be devoured by the swine with the fastest time," Zach Johnson, the emcee and owner of Swifty Swine Racing of Van, Texas, tells the crowd.

Swifty Swine Racing has returned to the Crawford County Fair with five free shows daily that feature racing — and even swimming — pigs.

"I've been doing this 25 years and people love it," Johnson said following Monday's 3 p.m. performance.

The bleachers at "Pork Chop International Speedway" off the midway were filled and it was standing room only to watch the racing card.

Groups of four pigs sprint around the track with fans hooting and hollering for their favorite.

The card, though, is interrupted halfway through with a feat of swimming derring-do by Swifty Swine.

Swifty is a 12-week-old potbellied pig who swims across an 8-foot-long tank of water with a little help from the enthusiastic crowd.

With chants of "Go, Swifty, go" building, Swifty suddenly bursts forward and swims across the tank in a matter of seconds to the delight of the audience.

The four porcine participants get a little bit larger in each race with the audience cheering on their favorite.

Each race, Johnson picks out four crowd representatives who get a chance to win a plastic pig nose and their own six-pack of Oreo cookies — if they have the winning porker.

"This is pretty cool," said Wilson Durisko of Pittsburgh who was visiting the fair with his wife and two children. The Duriskos have been to the fair before, but it was the first time they had seen the pig races.

"I loved it," Durisko's son, Troy, said following the final race.

Troy was one of the four audience representatives for the final race with his pig bringing home the bacon in the finale.

Swifty Swine Racing offers free shows daily at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 p.m. along the midway at Gate 1.

Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at .