BROWNSTOWN

By the time the last one is sold at the 4-H livestock auction Saturday at the Jackson County 4-H Fair, nearly 500 hogs will have made their way through the show arena.

The most popular one, however, made his grand entrance before the fair even started and never made it to the show arena.

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Without a doubt, Junior was the star attraction in the swine barn and hard to miss.

That’s because the Hampshire crossbred boar tipped the scale at 1,046 pounds during weigh-in for the fair’s largest hog contest Friday evening.

Junior won that title for the third straight year. He also placed second in the Indiana State Fair contest this past year when he weighed a mere 888 pounds.

A year ago at the county fair, Junior weighed in at 930 pounds. The heat, however, caused him to drop about 50 pounds before the state fair rolled around, owner Terry Melloncamp of Dudleytown said.

“I hope he stays above 1,000 pounds for the state fair,” Melloncamp said.

Spotosaurus Rex from Carroll County weighed in at 1,007 pounds to claim the title of World’s Largest Male Hog at the 2014 fair.

Melloncamp said it’s going to be hard for Junior, who’s also owned by Melloncamp’s son, Trenton Collins, to keep that weight on, especially if it’s hot this week.

“Being in different surroundings, that makes a difference, too,” he said.He said 5-year-old Junior has been fed a variety of things over the years.

“I clean up some of the farmers market every fall,” Melloncamp said. “He gets all the pumpkins, tomatoes, melons, whatever.”

Melloncamp said Junior’s generally pretty content no matter the situation, although he was a little temperamental at the state fair this past year, especially when Melloncamp wasn’t around.

“He minds me,” he said.

Melloncamp said he generally takes care of Junior throughout the year, while his son takes care of the family sow and litter entry each year. Their entry, Ruth and her nine piglets, took second place in that contest Friday night.

The top sow was Helen with her 11 piglets. She is owned by Ron and Dian Krumme, also of Dudleytown.

The Krummes are no strangers to the largest hog and best sow and litter contest. They also had the second-place finisher in the largest hog contest with Hoss checking in at 827 pounds.

Dian Krumme said she and her husband are not big farmers, but entering both contests gives them a way of having something at the fair.

She said they just like the idea of competing against some of the other hog farmers.

Daulton and Haley Reedy of Brownstown finished third in that contest with Bubba, who gained 198 pounds from last year’s county contest, at 742 pounds.

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Largest hog contest

Junior, 1,046 pounds, owned by Terry Melloncamp and Trenton Collins of Dudleytown

Hoss, 827 pounds, owned by Ron and Dian Krumme of Dudleytown

Bubba, 742 pounds, owned by Daulton and Haley Reedy of Brownstown

Best sow and litter

Helen with 11 piglets, Ron and Dian Krumme

Ruth with nine piglets, Terry Melloncamp and Trenton Collins

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