Mic’d Up – Jordan Leatherman
Jordan Leatherman
Paragould, Arkansas • NJSS Crossbred Gilts
What part of the show are you looking forward to the most and why?
Growing up in Indiana and getting the opportunity to come back and judge at the State Fairgrounds in the new swine barn will be a pretty memorable experience.
What’s one thing you can’t go without when judging a show?
A pocket full of mints.
Your favorite national summer show memory?
Summer Spectacular has always been my favorite show since I was a kid. Growing up watching 20-plus classes of Yorkshire gilts instilled an early passion for me to want to be involved in the industry. Showing in the Champion Yorkshire Boar Drive among a ring full of industry icons the year of the record-breaking Yorkshire Sale will always be a core memory that will be hard to top.
Besides shows, what’s something else you look forward to during the summer?
Our family thoroughly enjoys being outside as much as possible, so evenings in the yard throwing the ball or Frisbee around with the kids, going on walks, and a late-night fire with some s’mores is sure hard to beat.
Pool or lake?
Lake
Lemonade or iced tea?
Iced tea
Baseball or golf?
Golf
Ice cream or popsicles?
Ice cream
Mic’d Up – Kane Austin
Kane Austin
Hutchinson, Kansas • NJSS Purebred Barrows
Working with the young people. National Junior Summer Spectacular was my first national show experience as a young person. It feels like a very full-circle moment.
What’s one thing you can’t go without when judging a show?
If it was Team Purebred Junior National in 2025, the only answer is Body Armor and a sweat towel. Hopefully we won’t need the towel indoors in Indy.
Your favorite national summer show memory?
As an exhibitor, it was competing in the judging contest, skillathon, speech contests, and high-level showmanship contests that were unique to national shows, along with seeing friends from across the country that I might not see anywhere else. As a judge, it’s the elite level of showmen and livestock that come to the national stage.
Besides shows, what’s something else you look forward to during the summer?
Chicago Cubs baseball, my birthday in June, and the Fourth of July.
Pool or lake?
Lake
Lemonade or iced tea?
Iced tea
Baseball or golf?
Baseball
Ice cream or popsicles?
Ice cream
Exhibitor Spotlight
Hadley Hendrickson
From lucky traditions in the show ring to sushi celebrations after a banner, Hadley Hendrickson knows it’s the little things that make winning even more memorable. Fresh off a standout summer at The Exposition, we caught up with Hadley to talk about dream shows, favorite traditions, and the people who inspire her along the way.
What is your favorite way to celebrate a win?
I love coming home and going to Fuji to get sushi because sushi is my favorite food. I also love going to get a s’mores flurry from Bogies.
What’s your dream show to win?
I have had a lot of success in the pig ring, and I am forever thankful for the success and memories with family and friends. My dream show to win is the heifer show at the North American International Livestock Exposition.
Who is another exhibitor that you look up to?
I look up to Harlie Deschaine from California because she is not only one of my very good friends, but she is truly one of the nicest and most caring people I have ever met. Even though she is still an exhibitor, she was more than willing to step in and help me show my Duroc barrow in the show and in the grand drive, which shows the type of person she is.
What’s one thing you can’t go without during a show?
I can’t go without my lucky belt buckle when I show pigs. Anytime I wear a different belt buckle, I do not do well at the show. It may be a little rusty, but I can’t show my pigs without it.
Besides summer shows, what is something else you enjoy doing during the summer?
I enjoy going to Jerry’s to get a Jumbo Diet Marshmallow Coke in between working animals. Many people tell me that I have an addiction to them because I get one almost every day.
Pool or Lake?
Pool
Lemonade or Iced Tea?
Lemonade
Ice Cream or Popsicles?
Ice Cream
Washing or Cleaning Pens?
Washing
Early Mornings or Late Nights?
Early Mornings
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