Marin County Fair: Luke Skyporker and cohort chase pig racing glory

People packed the stands to watch eight speedy pigs fly at the Marin County Fair on Friday.

The pig races, brought to the fair by the Oregon company All Alaskan Racing Pigs, are a part of the fair’s barnyard section. The races are held four times a day and are a crowd favorite.

Sure enough, the stands were packed Friday, despite the heat, to watch the 17-week-old pigs compete.

“We saw them last year, and it was so much fun,” Liz Morris of Novato said. “We got early seats last year and it got packed out completely.”

Morris said she and her family arrived extra early to the show this year to get good seats. They attend the fair every year.

Around 150 people attended the 12:30 p.m. race on Friday, which is typical, according to Kris Cox, a host and announcer.

Novato resident Gabrielle Cohen and her school-age son William said they saw the commotion around the racing pigs and decided to check it out. She grew up in the area and always went to the county fair, but this is her son’s first time — and their first time either of them saw the pigs race.

“He was especially excited for the pig races and the 4H rocket launching,” she said.

“We love animals,” her son said.

Each race has three heats. The winner and runner up of the first and second heat face off in a championship round.

The contestants race around the small ring, flying over two sets of hurdles as they go.

“Oh, they are silly,” Morris said. “They fool people and do tricks and go around obstacles.”

Sure enough, one pig — Soapy Smith, named after a famous American con artist in the West from the 1800s — put on a show for the crowd during an intermission round. When asked to do a triple high hurdle, Soapy Smith conned his way around the obstacle — to the crowd’s enjoyment.

“That pig is also our runt,” Cox said. “He’s like 6 inches shorter than every other pig we have, and every time he wins his races I feel so much joy.”

Jack Rucker, 9, of Tiburon said he came to the show because the poster looked exciting. He was the volunteer chosen to hold the triple high hurdle steady while Soapy Smith made his slippery escape around it.

“I came to cheer them on and see which one wins,” Jack said.

Faith Rucker, Jack’s mother, said that while she and her family have attended the fair many times, this was the first time they stopped for the pig race.

The first heat of the day Friday was between Kobuk, Yukon, Soapy Smith and Sourdough Jack. Luke Skyporker, Strawberry, Porkira and Bob faced off in the second round.

The final race came down to Kobuk, Strawberry, Porkira and Soapy Smith. In the end, Kobuk took home first place overall.

“It’s really great to see the kids being involved and the families being part of the show, and just seeing the smiles on their faces,” said Timothy Marl, an announcer and host for the races.