Pee-Wee Swine Showmanship

Imagine this: A livestock arena. Dust in the air. The noise of hundreds of anxious parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles all crowding around. Twenty preschoolers, all dressed in their best cowboy (or cowgirl) gear. Eight pigs. One very nervous Braden:
Ready, Set, GOOOO!

This weekend was the annual Brazos County Youth Livestock Show, and our boys "participated" in the Pee-Wee Swine Showmanship yesterday afternoon. They did this last year, too, and this year was pretty much a repeat.

Kyle went into the show ring with them, and they hung close. Braden hung very close:

Most kids chase after the pigs. Here's Garrett's attempt (can you see him? He's in the bottom left):

Once the pigs (and kids) are sufficiently riled up, the judge (here in the blue, kneeling down) calls all the kids over while he talks to them about showing pigs. Kyle is with our kids on the left side of the pack here:

Notice all the spots on that picture? The best I can figure is that is the flash reflecting off the airborne dust.

This year, they ran out of trophies, so our kids received "participant" ribbons on their way out of the arena. They are supposed to mail our trophies to us.

After the Pee-Wee Swine Showmanship event, the 4-H and FFA kids show their pigs. This is Braden watching his babysitter, Victoria, show her pig: