Fair porkers show off their racing chops

Lisa Epping of Mission Viejo brings her son, Gunnar, to the Orange

County Fair at least twice a year. And each time, they make the All

Alaskan Pig Races their first stop.

“I like the pig races because every year the pigs do something

funny, like take a shortcut,” said Gunnar Epping, 7.

It’s not just fairgoers who enjoy the racing pigs. The Alaskan pig

races have been a crowd favorite up and down the West Coast since

they began racing 20 years ago.

Five times a day, Darren Noll and assistant Steve Seneca put on a

four-race series with eight pigs.

Noll, 20, said he makes up to 100 stops at fairs from June to

October. It was Noll’s father, a fair manager and a former dog-sled

racer, who came up with the idea for Alaskan pig racing 20 years ago.

These days, Noll handles the racing business in between studying

to become a mechanical engineer at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Seneca,

49, a former real estate appraiser looking for a career change,

answered an ad to work with animals and found himself working the pig

races with Noll.

“After humans, pigs are one of the smartest animals, like apes and

dolphins, and are easy to train,” Noll said. “Every race is a

surprise because we never know what they will do to get to the food.

“Every once in a while, a pig ... goes into the crowd. While the

crowd loves to see a pig-chasing contest, my heart is racing until I

get the pig back onto the track,” Noll said.

Compared with humans, pigs have a relatively short racing career.

The baby pigs can only race for 12 weeks because they outgrow the

pens after four months. By the time they’re six months old, they’ve

reached their adult size -- about 480 pounds.

On this particular day, “Bring on the Bacon” signs hang above the

packed bleachers. “Rain or swine, the sow must go on” is the motto on

the starting gate as Noll works the crowd before the race begins.

This race is the big finale, after several elimination rounds

weeded out the other piggy contenders. It’s down to the final four,

with challenging, foot-high hurdles for the pigs to jump over.

The gate opens and the chaos begins. Anakin Pigwalker tries to

bypass the track and take a shortcut to the finish line and the food.

Only he doesn’t make it because the other pigs trample over him in

their race around the track.

They jump over the foot-high hurdle one at a time as the crowd

cheers them on. All make the jump -- except Harry Porker, who just

knocks the hurdle over.

The race is over in seconds, and Yukon is declared the champion

before a thrilled audience.

Even though these are pig races, it’s not rare to find friends

wagering in the stands.

“Every year, people try to bribe me, promising to bring a beer or

food at the end of the race if I tell them which pig will win, but I

honestly do not know,” Seneca said. “The pigs cheat, run each other

over, and we mix up their outfits every race so there is no way to

know.

“No one ever remembers to come back and bring food or beer,” he

said. “It’s OK. I am on a diet anyway.”