Barrett, called pig whisperer, wins big

Photo by Randy Moll Lacy Jo Barrett, Decatur FFA, shows her grand champion hog at the Benton County Fair premium auction on Aug. 16.
Photo by Randy Moll Lacy Jo Barrett, Decatur FFA, shows her grand champion hog at the Benton County Fair premium auction on Aug. 16.

DECATUR -- "First up, Lacy Barrett, Decatur FFA, with the grand champion market hog," the announcer proclaimed during the youth animal premium auction at the Benton County Fair on Aug. 16.

When Barrett brought her hog named Stud into the arena, it became apparent that no mere human and animal had entered the ring, but one entity stood center stage before buyers and spectators. It was as though the two could read each other's thoughts.

"Stud is probably the best hog I have ever had about reading things and knowing where I want him to go and what I expect," Barrett said. "He's always over the top on everything I expect. He knows what I'm going to do before I do."

Feb. 22 was a very important day for Barrett. That day a group of piglets were born on the Barrett family farm. Early on she knew that the piglet she had chosen was destined to become a grand champion.

Stud is a Duroc pig, one of the oldest and gentlest breeds in the United States. The breed dates back to the early 1800s when they were introduced in New England. In 1830, the modern Duroc was the result of crossbreeding a Jersey Red and New York's older Duroc. In the 1950s the breed began a long career as a show hog.

After Stud was weaned, sometime in early spring, Barrett began the process of turning a wee piglet into a show hog.

Barrett began a training regimen which included a forty-five minute walking routine each day, followed by showmanship training. A long, flexible pole called a whip is introduced to familiarize the hog with the driving process.

Barrett has several types of whips she uses during the training phase and the show. One whip she uses flexes to form a bow that fits under Stud's chin. This lets him know that he needs to hold his head up. Other whips are used to direct the hog's movement during training. Eventually, Barrett works her show whip into the training.

This whip, usually a semi-rigid pole with a hook at the end, is used to guide the animal in the ring. Lightly touching the hog on the hind quarter indicates forward motion while touching on the breast plate under the chin stops the animal. Touching the hog on either shoulder induces left or right turns. A gentle touch is all that is needed to control the hog in and out of the arena. Gentle is always the rule when showing any animal. Too much force gives the animal the wrong signal and often results in the handler losing control.

"The hog is very sensitive to the whip," Barrett said. "The handler has to know were to draw the line between too much and too little."

One tactic that judges like to use at shows is exchanging the handlers show whip with one provided by the event. This shows the judges the true abilities of the handler and hog.

"You've got to train the animal to handle anything and everything a judge might want a response to," Barrett said. "I train my hogs for judges, to be successful in the show."

Barrett put a lot of time and care into the animal, getting up by 4:30 a.m. to begin her daily regimen of feeding, grooming, and training before heading to work or school.

Barrett is often referred to as "The Pig Whisperer" for her unique ability to read and respond to a hog's body language, which earned her that title.

"I can walk up to an animal and they immediately respond to whatever I ask of them," Barrett said. "I do think I have a natural ability to understand animals."

Studies have shown that hogs are extremely intelligent and, in the right hands, can do remarkable feats. Barrett once trained a hog to sit, roll-over, and play dead.

One of Barrett's strongest concerns is what personal handlers project to the non-livestock community. She has been to many shows where the handlers failed to maintain control of their animals, resulting in injuries to spectators as well as the animals. Barrett takes the way the public views the livestock community very seriously when showing her animals.

"My biggest pet peeve is that the animal has to be trained right," Barrett explained. "Not only does it make you look good when your animal is trained, but the whole livestock community as well. It is very important that the public doesn't think you are mistreating that animal."

But there is more than just raising and showing Stud. Barrett has to know how to answer questions from the non-agricultural community. While the FFA and 4H organizations help in this area, Barrett has to do research on topics ranging from simple skin care to more complex fields such as recognizing and caring for swine diseases. She sees the county fair as breeding contempt among some of the younger handlers. This can lead to the public viewing the livestock community in a negative way. Barrett believes in "leading by example" and tries to help her fellow exhibitors whenever and whereever she can.

One of the most time consuming parts of raising a show animal is grooming. It is not uncommon before a livestock show to see the handler brushing, rubbing, or spraying an animal for hours prior to the show. The hair and skin on a hog is similar to that of humans and therefore is susceptible to the same problems. Barrett finds that Aloe Vera helps to not only keep Stud's skin moist and smooth but also helps in preventing tick and mosquito bites.

Hogs, also like humans, are subject to dehydration. Prior to entering the ring during the Benton County Fair, Barrett was continuously watering Stud. With the heat in the livestock barn that night, it would have been extremely easy for Stud to suffer from dehydration-related illnesses. By continuously monitoring Stud's behavior, Barrett took the necessary steps to prevent it, making for a happy and healthy Stud.

Lisa Barrett, FFA sponsor and Barrett's mother, watched not only Lacy take grand champion. She watched Lacy's younger sister Paige take reserve champion market hog this year. It so happened that Paige Barrett's hog came from the same litter as Stud, his brother.

"As a parent and agriculture teacher, I'm very proud of both of them," Lisa Barrett said. "We were very excited that both Lacy and Paige won the two top spots for the market hog."

Lacy Barrett is luckier than most of her peers in that she witnessed Stud's birth. Most of the time, the hog is acquired from other farms. For Barrett to watch him go from a tiny piglet into a 260-pound grand champion Duroc hog is a feeling few young people get a chance to experience. But it is more than the awards and the spotlight. It is about a human and an animal bonding to become one, to share a mutual love and understanding that goes beyond the spotlight. Their journey continues with the Arkansas-Oklahoma State Fair in Fort Smith Sept. 19-27.

General News on 09/10/2014