Ueorgia National Fair I - Wheeler County Show Team Competes in Winter Pig Classic

Ueorgia National Fair I

Jaxson Derriso, left, and Keaton Pickle, right, with their pigs.

Courtesy of Wheeler County Schools

On January 3, 2025, the Wheeler County Show Team traveled to Perry to participate in the Farm Credit Winter Pig Classic. Eight students carried 22 pigs to compete against nearly 500 other pigs.

Showmanship began in the afternoon with the youngest students. Remi Bateson placed 5th in the 2nd Grade Showmanship Class. In 5th grade, Layla Vann placed 3rd. In 11th grade, Anna Beth Ethredge and Zoey Vann were penned out of their heat, but didn’t make the cut for the top ten.

On Saturday, the market hog show started with purebred breeding gilts. Keaton Pickle placed 4th in class 5 with his Berkshire gilt. Zoey Vann won Class 7 with her Duroc gilt while Anna Beth Ethredge finished 4th in Class 9 with her Duroc. Zoey showed again in Class 10, where she placed 5th with her other Duroc gilt. In Class 13, Jaxson Derriso finished 4th with his Yorkshire gilt. Clay Ryals won class 14 with his Yorkshire gilt. The crossbred commercial gilt show followed the purebred show. In Class 15, Anna Beth Ethredge finished 4th. Clay Ryals won Class 16 with his 186 lb gilt. Anna Beth showed again in Class 17, where she placed 4th. The barrow show followed the gilt show. Layla Vann placed 5th in Class 21.

“We are proud of how the students placed this early in their show season, and we look forward to the upcoming shows,” commented FFA advisors and agriculture teachers for Wheeler County Bryant Oliver, Les Bateson, and Hannah Henry.