As this pig was auctioned off at the Kenton County Fair, he isn’t destined to be food but rather an icon for the Northern Kentucky Region.
The pig, still nameless, was bought by Phil Griffin, the owner of AnyWeather, a construction service company, for the business’s mascot. He is being referred to as a “show pig with purpose.”
Griffin said the idea of making a pig AnyWeather’s mascot started as a joke.
He said a friend called him wanting him to purchase a pig at the Kenton County Fair that his daughter was raising for 4-H.
“I was just coming from a marketing meeting, so I guess you could say I was in a creative state of mind
,
” he said. “I told him a good show pig is too good to send to market, and if I bought this pig, he was going to have a bigger purpose than a BBQ.”
That night, Griffin said the ideas kept flowing, and he spent the night laughing at the possibilities that came with purchasing the pig. When he went to work the next morning and mentioned the idea, he had everyone at the office join in on the fun, and before he knew it, they were committed to the idea.
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“The good friend that I am, I called my buddy’s daughter Ellie Mae and told her I was buying the pig if she would agree to caring for this pig the rest of its life, and that if she agreed, she had to get permission from her dad,” Griffin said. “The next call I made was to my buddy Frank, and I just said his phone was about to ring with a request he couldn’t say no to.”
Griffin officially purchased the pig during an auction held at the Kenton County Fair on July 16. He had no idea what the pig would sell for, which was a risk he was willing to take. He ended up buying it for $3,000.
“Mr. Pig,” as Griffin refers to him, made his debut at the Fort Thomas 4th of July parade, where he took home the prize for first place in the “most original” category.
But he isn’t just for show.
Griffin said the pig is out to make a difference. Watch for him all summer at local schools teaching hard work, kindness, and showmanship, county fairs and parades, community events, and special guest spots supporting agriculture, skilled trades and character building.
“You can expect to see him bringing people together in a positive way and shining a light to all the good things in our community and promoting positive things for our youth,” Griffin said.
The reason Mr. Pig remains nameless is that AnyWeather is leaving it up to the community to decide. There are four name choices: Pistol Pete, Boss Hog, Notorious P.I.G., and Frankie Fahrenheit. Voting runs all summer, with the winning name announced at the end of the season. Those interested can
vote here
.
Griffin said the pig represents values about hard work, small-town strength, community, rising up, and making his community better for the next generation.
The girl responsible for showing the pig, 14-year-old Ellie Mae Armstrong, said she has learned the value of hard work through caring for the pig. She is responsible for training him to walk like a show pig, feeding him, cleaning out his pen, changing his water and brushing him. Armstrong said pigs don’t sweat, so she also has to make sure he stays cool and hydrated.
“The responsibility of having to wake up every morning at 6 a.m. to make sure he’s fed, making sure the water is turned off,” Armstrong said. “There is a lot of patience involved. Pigs are stubborn.”
The pig is only 6 months old, weighing approximately 250 pounds. They can live up to 20 years, and Armstrong guessed that he could grow up to 800 pounds. He will continue to live with Armstrong and her family, where she will continue to care for him.
Armstrong said showing her pig is stressful but fun.
“When I’m showing the whole world is gone and it’s just me and my pig,” she said.
The money spent to buy Mr. Pig goes back to Armstrong. She plans to save the money she makes during 4-H shows to put toward a car when she turns 16.
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