When the calendar turns to August, it means one thing in Illinois: time for the Illinois State Fair!

This first weekend at the state fair kicks off all the junior livestock shows, including swine, beef, sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens and, of course, all the 4-H competitions over in the Orr Building. Young people from all over the state have worked for months — literally offering up blood, sweat and tears — all leading up to this weekend.

So, Prairie Farmer caught up with a couple of those young people and asked them to share their 2023 Illinois State Fair experience. If you’ve been in their shoes, this will bring back memories for you! And if not? Well, you’re sure to learn a little more about what stock show kids put into their livestock.

Read on for more about Osie Ellen Seaton and Remington Curry.

Osie Ellen Seaton:
A Day in the Life of a Stock Show Kid

Ocie Ellen Seaton, 12, is the daughter of Lucas and Sarah Seaton, Martinsville, in Clark County, Ill. Here’s her story:

4 a.m. “Beep beep,” and Mom’s alarm is going off. Wow! That’s early! I barely got any sleep. I am super excited because I’m showing pigs at the Illinois State Fair for the first time!

Then we walked outside, and it was pitch black. Why do we have to get up so early? To park close to the barn. Yesterday, Dad let me sleep in at the hotel, but we got caught in a rainstorm and he had to park miles away from the barn.

7:30 a.m. The show order got posted! Wow! My belly is tingling, and I can’t believe it’s showtime! I have waited for this day since I was a little girl tagging along with one of my big brothers as he showed his 4-H general projects. Yesterday, he gave me a pep talk before he left the fairgrounds with his grand champion lamp project.

8 a.m. The barn is awake, time to feed. I got Bo, my crossbred pig, out and my big brother weighed him. Then I did the same with my other pig, Luke. I fed them and Lane weighed them again. Yes! Weight is dialed in. On to bath time. This is one of my favorite parts of show day.

9 a.m. One of my pig buddies came through the barn with a bucket of mini doughnuts and offered me some, so I took a handful. That’s all I’d have to eat until lunch.

12 p.m. Showtime! I walked Bo to the ring. Wow, the butterflies were tingling in my belly and I could feel my smile grow bigger and bigger the closer we got to the show ring. I walked Bo in the ring for about 10 minutes and was placed eighth. Even though we didn’t earn a ribbon, I told Bo, “Great job!”

After Bo was back in his pen, I watched a couple of older kids show their pigs to pick up some tips, to help improve my game.

1:30 p.m. After lunch I got my Berkshire, Luke, ready to show. I brushed the shavings off and sprayed pre-show. Then I brushed it in. On the way to the ring, Dad was making him all shiny with water. I got into the show ring, and just like that I was penned in fifth place. They gave me a bright yellow ribbon and my heart was beaming with pride.

This year, many people told me I wouldn’t place at state since it is my first time showing here, but I showed them that I do anything I set my mind to. This was the best feeling ever.

2 p.m. I got the pigs washed for the last time this season. As I sat in my comfy blue chair, I realized my show season is over. What a great year I had with my pigs and making memories with my friends and family.

5 p.m. Everything is packed and ready to go home, so Dad and Lane head to pick up our trailer. While the guys were getting the trailer, Mom and I took my pigs to the wash rack to cool them off one final time. We loaded Bo and Luke on the trailer and said farewell to the Illinois State Fairgrounds until next season.

Remington Curry:
One Day at the Illinois State Fair

Remington Curry, 20, is the son of Brad and Mandy Curry, Delwood, in Pope County, Ill. He’ll be back at the 2024 Illinois State Fair with a spot gilt, a Hereford gilt and a Duroc barrow. Here’s his story:

I started my day at 7 a.m., leaving the camper to go to the barn. We stopped at Casey’s for breakfast and, of course, I had to get breakfast pizza. I got to the barn that morning and started feeding. I only had one gilt that I was showing, but my younger brother had two gilts, so I helped him feed also. I checked the water tubes and filled them up.

I hung around the barn that morning mainly because it was raining, and I watched kids ride scooters into the water that had pooled below the gilt barn. Around noon I washed my gilt to get her ready for showmanship later that afternoon. I use lemon dish soap and Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing. My gilt is a Hereford, so I have to keep those whites white. I prefer to use Ajax soap, and no, I’m not sponsored; however, it smells the best and works the best. After I wash, I apply Pink Lotion to my gilt.

I also helped my brother wash his showmanship pig after I was done, and my dad cleaned pens while we were back and forth with the gilts. After we were done with washing, we walked around the fairgrounds for a little bit just to see what all was happening because it was the first official day of the state fair.

Showmanship was supposed to start at 5 p.m., so I fed my gilt and my brother’s gilt about 4:30 p.m. so they could have some extra bloom for showmanship. I was in one of the last classes, but since they split the classes for two rings and because of our age difference, I was done before my brother.

This was my first time showing pigs at the Illinois State Fair. In the past I had only shown general show projects for 4-H. Saying I was calm for no reason would be 100% accurate. Normally, I get really nervous, but heading to the make-up pens for showmanship, everything just seemed perfect.

I checked in for my class and waited for the gate to open. My time came and I was worried about how I would do in showmanship. I had shown against some of the other people before and some of them had beaten me and I had beaten some of them, so it was a complete toss-up.

I showed my gilt harder than I’ve ever shown her and soon, the judge starts penning people. With only 12 in my division, I wasn’t sure if she was dismissing people she hadn’t penned. I found out rather quickly she was placing people she had penned.

I was still out in the ring doing what I think I do best.

The time finally came. The judge grabbed the microphone and started to place the top four still out in the ring. She started talking about me. This worried me because the division before mine, she talked the top four backward, so I figured I was fourth.

She talked the other showman and said the order she talked them isn’t exactly how she wanted them placed. So she gave me some really good looks before she picked the champion. At this point, I thought I might’ve won it.

Turns out I didn’t. But she got back on the mic and chose me as the reserve for my division of showmanship. She said my gilt and I were very good partners and that she could see the time I had spent with her. She also said she would want any of the top four to drive a pig for her at any level show.

HE’LL BE BACK: 2023 was Remington Curry’s first trip to the Illinois State Fair, and he walked away with reserve champion showmanship.

I ended the night with ice cream from a stand near the barrow barn and it was AMAZING. My family and another family we show with went to Mexican after to celebrate.

Then we went to bed, so we could wake up and show gilts the next day.