At the fair: Hinnah hopes to keep fair tradition alive

Whitney Hinnah shows a hog at her last Saline County Fair Junior Livestock Sale Friday, July 17. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

"It's always been in our family," she said. "My dad used to show a long time ago at the state fair, so we kind of took on the tradition."

Hinnah started showing pigs at the Saline County Fair when she was just 8 years old as a 4-H club member. She will show at the state fair this year, but next year the 2006 Slater High School graduate and FFA member will be too old to show at junior shows. Her favorite part of showing all these years has been "the people around you that support you," she said.

She and her brother, Lucas, show mostly Spots and Berkshires, most of which they raise on the farm where her father grew up. They keep about 20 sows, which her father artificially inseminates.

One particular show hog she remembers was nicknamed "Big Bertha."

"You could pet her anywhere -- she would just lay down," she said, adding that Big Bertha became a sow on their farm and had many litters of pigs.

She said they usually show four or five hogs each at the county fair and six or seven each at the Missouri State Fair.

The family camps out at the county and state fairs and Hinnah said she enjoys the food and cookouts with other families.

After graduating, Hinnah went to school for a year at Cosmetology Concepts in Columbia to become a cosmetologist. She has worked at Snip and Clip in Marshall for almost two years.

Although she won't be able to show the hogs herself next year, she will be helping her brother, something they have always done.

"We help each other out as much as we can," she said, adding that they take turns doing the chores at their house.

Hinnah hopes someday she can add to the family's tradition of showing hogs.

"Since my dad started it, I want to keep it going."

Contact Marcia Gorrell at marshallag@socket.net