Alexis Rodriquez, 16, won FFA Champion, market swine.

Alexis raised a pig named Sweet Cheeks. "Sweet Cheeks?" "Well," said Alexis, smiling, "I didn't know what to name her at first... my mom helped me. Wait. Mom came up with Sweet Cheeks? "Yep," said Alexis. Because the pig has?....
... "My pig has a really big butt (you now see why I paused) so my mom came up with Sweet Cheeks. Aha... I should have known!

How was Sweet Cheeks to raise? Alexis said: "She's sassy and likes to mess around... and likes to bite my feet. She kind of has my attitude and I really like that about her."

Alexis did exceptionally well considering this is her first year in the FFA and raising a pig. Did she realize the odds of winning the first year in the program? Alexis said: "No," adding, "I really didn't think I'd get... ummm... anything for her. I didn't think I was gonna... like... umm... ... I don't know. I didn't think I was going to win anything.

If the goal was not to win a championship... then what? Alexis smiled and explained: "Just to get out and experience things... and to raise her... she was really good to raise... I liked raising her." Being your first year raising a pig, did you have any idea what it'd be like raising Sweet Cheeks? "No," said Alexis, adding, "I actually thought it was going to be easy but it was kind of hard." The hardest part? "Waking up every morning," Alexis said, "to feed her, to walk her. She was stubborn at first, she didn't like to walk but she got used to going out and walking so she got easier along the way." And baths... did she enjoy the baths? "Yeah," said Alexis. She did? "Well... she enjoys it sometimes but most time she screams... or steps on my feet", said Alexis, adding, "but other times she's good...
... when she's calm... not all stressed out."

Next year? "I'm going to raise another pig," said Alexis. And this years auction proceeds? "I'm going to save it til next year to buy my next pig. The winning bid for Alexis' pig was $9.00 a pound. As for long range plans, Alexis plans to attend college and eventually become a probation officer.

Here, Alexis pays tribute: "I want to thank my mom for motivating me and being there sometimes for me and especially my aunt and uncle... Nicky and Sabino Perez... they have really been helping me out with the whole FFA thing. And Mr. Ricards... he's a really good guy."

Tori Gonzales, 10 of Piru 4-H won 4-H Grand Champion & Bred & Fed Champion swine.

This was a really big win for young Tori. Tori's pig's name is Gee G... a derivative of her sister's boyfriends name, Greg, and the pig being a gilt (female pig)... hence Gee G.

What does a 10 year old girl experience raising a 276 pound pig which is a pretty large animal. As Tori explains: "I liked having her and being with her. I had a lot of fun with it. Especially washing her. We'd mess around in the wash pen." Whoa! Did she really enjoy being washed, I asked? "Once in a while," Tori said. Not always? Tory nodded no. When she didn't want to be washed? She'd scream... real loud. And did you use for soap suds? "Just regular shampoo and conditioner," said Tori, with a grin, adding, "if it was really hot, we'd also use lotion and sunscreen. Aha. Then... having a hunch... I asked if the lotion Tori used was Avon's Skin So Soft. "Yes," giggled Tori.

There has to be trials and tribulations raising a pig... so...? "Trying to get her to walk the first time at the beginning. We'd be out there for about five minutes and she'd be ready to go home," explained Tori, adding, "she didn't like to go for walks." Ha... was Gee G a lazy pig? "Yes!, proclaimed Tori.

And the auction money? "Ummm... I'm not sure yet," Tori said. The winning bidder paid $25 a pound for Gee G. And next year? "Next year I really want to raise another pig." Tori said.

Now that you've raised a pig that won 4-H Grand Champion the very first time you participated... would you be disappointed next year if your pig didn't do so well? Without hesitation, Tori said: "Well no because I got to know how the feeling is so I'd be OK with getting a regular first place ribbon... or anything." But if you got nothing? "I'd still have fun," Tori said.

Did you learn about responsibility? "Yeah," Tori quickly said. "We had to be there every day with her... take care of her... feed her." How much did mom and dad help? "Mostly dad helped because mom doesn't like animals... like smelly things. So mom is dainty? "YES!," said Tori. So dad pitched in once in a while? "Well, mostly all the time," Tori said with a glance over to her dad. Being the first year... was it tough? Another robust "YES!" from Tori. C'est la vie raising pigs.

Chase Bowens, 15, with Sespe 4-H won Reserve Grand Champion market swine.

Chase raised a pig named Katniss. Some of you may be familiar with the name... I wasn't. So I nonchalantly asked how Chase arrived at the name. "Because I saw the movie and read the book The Hunger Games," said Chase and I named my pig after the 12th Tribute." I've since Googled 'The Hunger Games' which is a story narrated by a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen, a tribute from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th annual Hunger Games in place of her younger sister, Primrose. Now everything makes perfect sense.

Have you raised pigs that won in previous years, I asked? "Yes I have," beamed Chase, adding "in 2010 I won Grand Champion." How long have you been raising pigs? You need to picture Chase counting fingers and then said: "About 10 years." Wow, I said, you're an ole pig farmer from way back! "Yeah," said Chase with a giggle.

What was the best part of raising Katness? "Well," explained Chase, "the best part is more like about her personality. Me and Katness... she likes me but she kind of doesn't. When I need to wash her she gets grouchy but I just get used to it and that's the fun part of it." Hmm.

And the most difficult part? "The most challenging part was when she was a baby she came home sick... we gave her antibiotics and she was still sick and we didn't think she would make it. But she made it," Chase said, smiling. Well... did Katniss have a bad cold or what? "Bronchitis," Chase said.

And the $10 a pound auction money? "First, put it toward another pig at the Denver National Stock Show," Chase explained. Wait... why buy a pig at the Denver National Stock Show I wondered? "Because," Chase explained, "you have a chance of winning $50,000." $50,000 for raising a pig? "Yes, Chase said. The details remain a mystery.

Along the way, there's always a support group involved. Accordingly, Chase said: "I would like to thank my mom and dad, James Backman of Small Town Genetics and God!" Now that's an impressive support group!

Breanna Berrington, 15, won FFA Reserve Grand Champion market steer.

And your steer's name is? "Mr. Armani" declares Breanna. OK... why Mr. Armani? "Because," said Breanna, "he was kind of expensive and through the years I've been going with 'designer' names. Ah... makes perfect sense.

How was it raising a designer steer? Breanna said: "What I liked the most about raising Mr. Armani was getting to work with him, and seeing him grow. I've had him since October and he's grown a lot since then... he's been a wonderful steer." No problems? "No problems," said Breanna. No temper tantrums?
"Yes, when he was little", Breanna admitted. Aha!

Certainly there must me challenges raising such a large animal. "When he started getting a lot bigger it became difficult for me to handle him," Breanna said, adding, "because he got a lot stronger which became the most difficult part." I'd say so. Imagine a young girl weighing 104 pounds (she told me) handling a large steer (1,363 pounds at the Fair). There must be a method for handling a 1/2 ton of beef on the hoof. "Since he was little," explained Breanna, "I constantly worked with him and he got to know me well so he's really gentle with me because he knows that I'm his owner ... and he can't hurt me. So... they're kind of like a dog... when I walk him he follows me." But, if Mr. Armani decided to go off on his own, what can you do I asked? "Just let him go" (giggling) because I'm not going to go for the ride," Breanna said emphatically.

Is Mr. Armani your first championship steer? "I've never won before", Breanna said, "so this is all very exciting. And the proceeds ($6.00 a pound) from the auction? "To save some to buy myself a car," Breanna said, "and buy another steer to raise next year. And for the long term Breanna's intentions are to attend college majoring in business administration. For the present, Breanna said: "I want to thank my mom and day for supporting me with raising my steer and helping me with everything. And I want to thank my ag teacher, Mr. Ricards for everything he's helped me with."

As always... the Fillmore Gazette staff congratulates the livestock championship winners at the 2012 Ventura County Fair. And a special kudos to all the parents, other family members and teachers. Job well done by all!