Breaking Boundaries Pig Show celebrates courage, inclusion at Ohio State Fair

Courage, confidence, and compassion took center stage at the Ohio State Fair as 13 young people with intellectual, developmental, or physical disabilities experienced the pride of exhibiting livestock during the Ohio Pork Council’s annual Breaking Boundaries Pig Show held July 29.

Each participant entered the show ring alongside an experienced youth exhibitor from the Ohio Pork Council’s OH-PIGS program. Serving as mentors, the youth shared their pigs, livestock knowledge, and encouragement while helping participants learn how to guide and present an animal before a crowd.

Rather than leading the experience, mentors adapted to each participant’s needs, providing support while allowing exhibitors to take the lead in the ring.

“Every participant who stepped into that ring showed tremendous courage,” said Kelly Morgan, OH-PIGS director. “Our mentors understood their job was not to take over. It was to stand beside each participant, listen, adapt, and give them the confidence to show the pig for themselves. I am incredibly proud of our OH-PIGS youth for using the skills they have gained in the show ring to open that ring to someone else.”

Judges JoAnn Fogle and Jenna Meteer encouraged each exhibitor throughout the event, recognized individual accomplishments, and ensured every participant’s experience was meaningful.

For participants, the event offered an opportunity to build confidence, develop new skills, and experience the excitement of exhibiting livestock. Families watched their children and young adults earn recognition for their accomplishments in the show ring.

The experience also reinforced important leadership lessons for the OH-PIGS mentors.

“Our youth demonstrated that leadership isn’t always about being in front,” Morgan said. “Sometimes leadership means slowing down, paying attention, and helping someone else discover what they’re capable of.”

The event reflected the pork industry’s We Care® Ethical Principles, emphasizing animal well-being, respect for people, and commitment to community.

“Today, the We Care principles were not simply words on a page,” said Cheryl Day, executive vice president of the Ohio Pork Council. “We saw animal well-being in the calm, patient way the pigs were handled. We saw care for people in every encouraging word. And we saw commitment to community when OH-PIGS families shared their animals, their knowledge, and their time so 13 young people could experience the pride of being an exhibitor.”

“This was not about competing for a ribbon,” Day added. “It was about removing barriers, building confidence, and making sure every person knows there is a place for them in agriculture. These participants did more than show a pig. They showed all of us what courage looks like.”

The Breaking Boundaries Pig Show creates opportunities for individuals of all abilities to participate in agriculture. By pairing exhibitors with experienced youth mentors and supportive volunteers, the event helps remove barriers and demonstrates that everyone belongs in the livestock community.

The Ohio Pork Council thanks the many individuals and organizations whose support made the event possible, including judges JoAnn Fogle and Jenna Meteer, Roy McCoy Genetics for donating trophies, Ohio AgrAbility for providing medals, the Kline family for providing meals for participants and mentors, and the OH-PIGS families and volunteers who shared their time, pigs, and expertise. The Ohio Pork Council and OH-PIGS provided event banners.

Together, their support ensured every exhibitor left the ring with more than an award—they left knowing their courage was celebrated, their accomplishments mattered, and they have a place in Ohio agriculture.