Who Won the Dixon May Fair Hog Calling Contest?

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Special to Dixon Patch

They called the hogs with “Soo-ee!” and “Here, Piggy, Piggy” and snorted and oinked.

They promised the hogs they wouldn’t become bacon if they just came over to them. One said “I’m your father and you have to listen to me.”

One team of two piggy-backed toward the hog.

The occasion: the 10th annual Dixon May Fair Hogcalling Contest, sponsored by the Friends of the Dixon May Fair.  “We have a lot of fun every year,” said emcee Donnie Huffman of Vacaville, president of the Friends of the Dixon May Fair.

“Boss Hog” Nick Stacey of Dixon, recovering from surgery and temporarily using a wheelchair, won his seventh title in the adult division with loud snorts and oinks that sent the hog racing toward him in four-squeal drive. He wore his Boss Hog t-shirt, lettered with the years of his wins, beginning in 2005.

Jon Carter, 17, of Rio Vista, got the “pig idea” and knelt down and quickly coaxed a hog over to him to win the ages 14-17 category.

Veteran hogcaller and swinemaster Parker Franchesci, 7, of Winters reclaimed his title in the ages 6-13 division with a voice that beckoned a hog. Parker won the title last year; in 2010 he placed fourth in his age division, 5 and under.

In the five and under category, Valerie Viera, 4, of Dixon brought home the bacon and the title in the 5 and under group.

Hogcallers had one minute to call the hogs, using only their voice. Judges were Rick Byrum, vice president of Butler Amusements; Hendrick Crowell and Mary Harris, members and past presidents of the Dixon May Fair Board of Directors; JoAn Giannoni, secretary of the Friends of the Dixon May Fair; and celebrity judge Richard Persons, interim chief executive officer of the Dixon May Fair.

Prizes included concert tickets, provided by the Dixon May Fair; carnival tickets, provided by Butler Amusements; and assorted piggy banks, plush pigs and other prizes provided by the Friends of the Fair.

Emcee Huffman handed out prizes to those who correctly answered his pig-related questions, such as “What do you call a Girl Scout cookie layered with Spam?” (A Girl Snout cookie); “Why don’t pigs like to go to school?” (because it’s boar-ing) and “What do you call it when a  hog does laundry? (hog wash) and “Why can’t you tell a pig a secret?” (Because it might squeal).

Providing the hogs were four Dixon youths: Maine Prairie 4-H Club members Hillary Burley with her hog, “Joey”; Cody Meitrott with his hog, “Big Juicy”; and Garrett Pryor with his hog, “Juggernaut.” Allison Pryor of the Dixon FFA lent her hog, “Leonard.”

Hogcalling winners:

Adults, 18 and over:

1st “Boss Hog” Nick Stacey of Dixon; 2nd, Brianna Boyd, Dixon; 3rd, Matt Peck, Fairfield; 4th, Eric Jeannot, Dixon (Jeannot won third last year)

Ages 14-17:

1st, Jon Carter, 17, Rio Vista; 2nd, Team Hannah DeTomasi, 16, Dixon, and Kristin Clark Webb, 17, Vacaville; 3rd, Chelsey Dana, 14. Rio Vista; and 4th, Team Katie Polik, 14, Vacaville, and Siera Giron, 14, Benicia.

Ages 6-13

1st, Parker Franceschi, 7, Winters; 2nd, Tyler Scott, 11; Dixon; 3rd, Zachary Reeden, 7; and 4th, Haley Scott, 8, Dixon

5 and under:

1st, Valerie Vieira, 4, Dixon; 2nd, Cooper Jeannot, 3, Dixon; and 3rd, Evelyn Atwood, 5, Vacaville.

The 137th annual Dixon May Fair opened on Thursday, May 10, continuing through Sunday, May 13. The grounds are located at 655 S.First St., Dixon.