Who Got the Hogs Hamward Bound at the Dixon May Fair

By Kathy Keatley Garvey
UC Davis Department of Entomology
Special to Dixon Patch

They coaxed, they cajoled, and they coerced. They oinked, snorted, whispered and bellowed. They skipped, danced and dropped to the ground.

And it was all a ploy to get the hogs at the ninth annual Dixon May Fair Hogcalling Contest into four-squeal drive or hamward bound.

When it was all over, “Boss Hog” Nick Stacey of Dixon, also known as the “hamtown hero,” won his 6th Annual Championship in the adult division, while three newcomers won titles in the other age divisions.

Emcee Donnie Huffman, of Vacaville, president of event sponsors Friends of the Dixon May Fair, said the hogcallers or “swinemasters” did well. He explained that “way back in the ages,” farmers called their hogs to dinner. But first they had to get their attention with a rousing “Soo-eey” or other call.

The contestants had one minute, a microphone and their best antics to call the hogs. No food was allowed; only their voice. They were judged on creativity, originality, hog response and audience response.

Looking like a pro hogcaller, Parker Franceschi, 6, of Winters, the winner in the 6-13 division, donned a cowboy hat and used a plaintive voice to summon the hogs, much to the audience’s delight. He won fourth in last year’s contest. In the 14-17 age division, Barry Coy, 15, of Vacaville, tried the drop-to-the-ground method, in a winning team effort with a kneeling hog caller Clare Crone, 16.  The hogs came roaring while the audience cheered.

Valerie Vieira, 3, of Dixon won the 5 and under, getting encouragement and companionship in the ring from veteran hogcaller Riley Currey, 11, of the Wolfskill 4-H Club, Dixon.

The hogcalling winners who brought home the bacon:

5 and Under:
1st, Valerie Vieira, 3, Dixon; 2nd, Xander Willoughby, 3, Vacaville; and 3rd, Easton Silva, 5, Dixon

6 through 13:
1st, Parker Franceschi, 6, Winters; 2nd, Riley Currey, 11, Dixon; 3rd, Dale Bors, 11, Dixon; and 4th, the team of Lindsay Tryba, 12; Audrey Hennigan, 12, Dixon and Lindsay's cousin, Reilly O’Donnell,13, Riverside, Ill.

14 through 17 (or in high school)
1st, Barry Coy, 15, Vacaville who teamed with Clare Crone, 16, Vacaville; 2nd, team of Zebulon Ivie, 16, Vacaville and Gino Ventinilla, 17, Vacaville; 3rd, Kenny Spencer, 16, Vacaville; and 4th, Jestine Pinon, 17, Dixon

Adults, 18 and over:
1st, Nick Stacey, Dixon; 2nd, James Bounds Jr., Dixon; 3rd, Eric Jeannot, Dixon; and 4th Silvia Forcier, Dixon

Judges were Mary Harris of Vacaville, president of the Dixon May Fair Board of Directors; Hendrick Crowell of Fairfield, past president and board member; and JoAn Giannoni, secretary of the Friends. Another veteran judge Richard Byrum of Fairfield, vice president of Butler Amusements, was out of county at the time.

The Dixon May Fair provided concert tickets to the first-place winners in the upper two age divisions; Butler Amusements, carnival tickets; and Friends of the Fair, piggy banks, stuffed animals and pig pens.  

Providing the hogs were four Dixon cousins who raise top swine: siblings Allison and Garrett Pryor of the Maine Prairie 4-H Club, Dixon, and sisters Katelyn and Karli Pryor of the Dixon High School FFA, formerly of Maine Prairie 4-H. Allison’s hog, Lincoln, had earlier won 4-H Champion Hog and then went on to win Reserve Supreme Grand Champion Hog or the second best market hog at the fair.

In previous years, individual hogs raised by both Karli and Katelyn won Supreme Grand Champion Hogs at the Dixon May Fair. This year Karli’s hog won first in the FFA heavyweight division.

Huffman, a former 4-H swine leader, amused the crowd with jokes such as “How do you take a pig to the hospital?” In an hambulance.

 “What do you call a pig that studies karate?”  Pork chop.

“Why should you never tell a pig a secret?” Because he might squeal.

“How do you treat a pig with a burn?” With oink-ment.

“Why don’t pigs like school?”  Because it’s boar-ing.

“What do you call a slice of spam on a Girl Scout cookie?” A Girl ‘Snout’ Cookie.

Good Day Sacramento featured Donnie Huffman, JoAn Giannoni  and some of last year’s winners on its TV show earlier that day. Nick Stacey and Lindsay Tryba of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club, Dixon showed how it was done to producer Jason Maloney.