4-H expo kicks off in Soldotna

At the Kenai Peninsula District 4-H Agriculture Expo on Friday, sheep were bleating, pigs were biting at one another, and cows were standing with a sense of stoicism.

The expo returned to the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex this weekend, open from Friday to Sunday, with a variety of agricultural attractions. The main event on Friday was the animal shows, where youth involved in the local 4-H program showed livestock across a variety of categories.

The morning opened with small animals, like bunnies and poultry. Those events were quiet; a sizable crowd gathered around the ring while the contestants showed off their animal to a judge.

The grand champion award for senior poultry went to Levi Rankin, who handled a large turkey with ease — grabbing the bird by its legs and upending it to show Judge Mary Tryon its underside.

The action got more intense when the pigs rolled into the space, trotting in circles and picking fights with one another. In the lightweight division, parents cautioned their kids to stay clear of the brawls, to instead make space and call out “pig board!” A team of more experienced handlers would drive one of those pig boards, large white slabs, between the animals to break up the quarrel.

Pigs were judged first in three different weight classes, and then the top two of each group returned to the ring for the final. Taking home the top honor, “Overall Champion,” was fifth-year participant Parker Rose and his pig Crackers.

“I mainly wanted to beat my sister this year,” he said. “And I did.”

Rose explained that judges are looking for a variety of qualities in the pig, like the shape, the direction of the feet, and how the weight and muscle are distributed around the body.

There’s also an element of showmanship. Rose said that with the rowdy pigs, the best showcase of control is moving the pig between its pen and the ring. That’s something that Rose said he trained for, but also that would be hard not to do — moving the animal around at home requires the same skill set.

The expo will run Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday features the Junior Market Livestock Auction, with registration and preview at 10 a.m. and the auction at noon. Sunday features the Horse Show at 10 a.m. and the petting zoo from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

New to the show this year is the “Ag Olympics,” set for Sunday at 2 p.m., which will show off “the muscle work” of agriculture.

Admission to the expo is $4 per day, or $6 for a weekend pass. Kids 5 and under get in for free.

For more information, visit facebook.com/kpen4H.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.