By KARI KRAMER | East Texas Edition

Erin Boaz, a Chisum Jr. FFA member, showed a pig (who is taking a nap after his work in the show ring) at this year’s Lamar County Junior Livestock Show. Erin said she takes her mom’s advice: ‘Just go out there and try your hardest. Do your best.’ -- Staff photo by Kramer

May 11, 2006 - Erin Boaz, 9, of Pattonville, might be half the size and half the age of other exhibitors, but she does not intend to let that stop her from becoming successful in the ring.

Erin, a member of the Chisum Junior FFA, was recently at the Lamar County Junior Livestock Show in Paris. Even though she showed in the kiddie show last year, the recent show was her first time showing in the county’s main event. 

Like other kids her age, Erin said starting a show career can be a little scary.

“I wasn’t nervous last year,” she recalled, but said she was very nervous this year. But, she said, the more she showed, the less nervous she would probably be.

In addition to being nervous about the show, Erin said it was different because she did not know many people.

“Since this is the first year, you don’t really know anybody,” she said, but added that she was starting to meet some nice people.

Many of the other kids at the show were older and more experienced than Erin, but she said she knew one day that she would be in their shoes.

“If you start when you’re young, when you get older you’ll be really good,” she noted.

Erin technically already has one win under her belt - she won the kiddie show last year - and said that got her even more excited about showing pigs.

She said she chose to show pigs because “you don’t have to hold them upside down in the air like the chickens.” In addition, she said “they’re really gentle,” but admitted that sometimes the heavy creatures can be hard to handle.

“They step on your feet,” she said and remembered one time when she had a swollen foot after a pig stomped on it.

Still, Erin said she has learned a lot while working with and showing pigs.

“I’ve learned how to wash them, and clip them, and spray them to make them shine,” she said. “That’s what the judges notice.”

She said showing “teaches how to handle animals and it teaches you responsibility.”

The Lamar County swine show took place in the afternoon, and Erin sat with her pigs all day and thought about the upcoming show.

“I’m just thinking about what I’m going to do,” she said. 

When the show was over, Erin and her swine came away with a third place win in Class I, ninth in Class II, and fourth place in Class III.

 While she admitted that showing is a lot of work and can sometimes be scary, she felt that other kids her age could be successful and enjoy the activity.

“My mom says, ‘Just go out there and try your hardest,’” Erin said. “Do your best.”