LEBANON, Tenn. (WTVF) — One thing about our team at NewsChannel 5. We love a challenge. Yes, our very own Lelan Statom and Nick Beres took part in the celebrity pig show competition at the Wilson County Tennessee State Fair.
"Is your pig vicious?" Nick asked Lelan as they waited for the competition to begin.
"Just yours!" Lelan answered. "You got the razorback."
"With tusks?!"
For advice on showing pigs, you can't do much better than 12-year-old Bailey Ball.
"She's a spot, and her name's Panda," Bailey said, showing her pig. "I'm very intense when it comes to showing pigs."
"Unlike a dog show where it's one at a time, it's all the pigs at the same time!" Lelan said, the competition beginning. "I'm being judged on how I navigate this pig through all the other pigs!"
"Stay away from this Beres guy!" he said as he passed Nick with his pig.
Bailey gave a little competition advice.
"I always do this so their skin and their hair is looking good and fresh," she said as she brushed Panda. "When we go in the ring, it makes 'em shine!"
"Okay! C'mon! C'mon!" Nick said to his pig, trying to coach her away from another pig. "Okay, we gotta break up you two guys!"
"Is it easy?" I called to Lelan.
"No, it's not!"
Bailey has a good luck routine.
"The chicken minis!" she said, referring to her snacks before each competition.
Hold that thought. Bailey heard about another new competition at the fair.
"I worked really hard to decide what costume I was going to do," she said, ready to take part in the costume pig show.
The competitors entered the ring. There was one boy dressed as a member of a SWAT team alongside a pig in a striped prison uniform. A little girl entered dressed as Cruella de Vil with her dalmation pig. A boy was dressed as a hunter alongside his pig with deer antlers.
So, where was Bailey in all of this? She and Panda were taking a little chicken mini inspiration.
Bailey walked into the competition, dressed as a Chick-Fil-A worker, compete with headset and name tag. Panda wore a sign reading, 'Eat Mor Chikin.'
"I decided to use her as my Chick-Fil-A cow cause she's black and white and looks just like a cow," Bailey smiled.
The prison pig walked out of the ring. Prison Pig, a lot's changed out there since you've been in the pen.
As with any competition, you don't usually win without a lot of practice.
"I'm not going to be winning any championships anytime soon!" Lelan laughed.
Sometimes, a lot of practice pays off. Bailey and Panda won the costume contest.
"When I got out there, people thought it was really good!" Bailey said. "The judge asked me 'if I finish my meal, what do you make sure you say?' I said, 'my pleasure!'"
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
Music lessons for just 50 cents! A Nashville music school has been providing that to area students for over 40 years including for the city's current mayor. As a child, I always wanted to take piano lessons. I was able to for about 6 months but had to stop due to family finances. I would have loved to have had access to a program like this at the W. O. Smith Music School.
- Lelan Statom
