Hollister resident Shannon Maguire hopes to raise a pig for the San Benito County Fair that will cash in at $70,000, a sum that could pay several years of college tuition.
But Maguire, 17, a senior at San Benito High School, isn’t raising the pig for herself. The sale of the hog named Hank—who weighed in at 273 pounds last week—will benefit the nonprofit San Benito County Heritage Foundation.
The proceeds of the hog’s sale at the San Benito County Fair this week will go toward capital projects for Bolado Park, where the fair, rodeo and countless other local events are held each year.
“He’s super sweet and really silly,” Maguire said. “He’s super energetic. Like when I let him out, he just likes to take off every time and then he’ll get tired and he’ll just waddle back.”
Maguire is also taking a lamb and a pig of her own to the fair. She has raised hogs since sixth grade and guesses that this pig might be the 12th animal of the species she has prepared for show.
Her interest in what the fair has to offer—agriculture and good, clean fun—reflects in her goals for the future. Maguire plans to study veterinary science at Cornell University, she said.
As part of raising the heritage hog, Maguire will take home a $1,000 college scholarship and a commemorative buckle, according to the foundation’s website.
Maguire said she logged seven years of animal-raising experience with 4-H and four years with Future Farmers of America, a group active at her high school.
Maguire’s mother, Susan, learned her daughter was applying for the position after she announced she had to pick up a letter of recommendation. Since then, the hog has been staying at the local high school FFA building with a pen-mate named Anastasia, explained her mother.
“He’s a beautiful pig,” the mother said. “He’s just a very sweet. I’m better with them when they’re mean.”
