We caught up with Ms. Cara Greiner, exhibitor of the 5th Overall Crossbred Barrow at the 2025 The Exposition, the Grand Champion Crossbred Barrow and Grand Champion NJSA Purebred Gilt at the 2025 National Jr Show, and the 3rd Overall Purebred Gilt and Reserve Champion Crossbred Barrow at the 2025 NJSS. Learn more about Cara below…

Fun/Interesting fact about your champion
The barrows name is blue. He’s the first pig I check on in the morning and the last one I pet when I leave at night. If everyone had a soulmate in animal form, that pig would be mine.
The Berkshire gilts name is bogie, we actually took a wild chance on her. We went to Boganwrights in the spring to look for Chester’s like we always do, but there was a little berk gilt in the corner that just looked different. We knew we couldn’t leave her there and the rest was history for her

Ever had a show ring fail? Tell us the story!
I would say our biggest fail that still haunts me to this day is my last pig I ever showed at state fair weighed out by one pound. It’s kinda like forgetting to mark a judging card though, you do it once and never ever do it again

What’s your favorite non-livestock hobby?
Usually pigs and judging consume my time, but I got a set of golf clubs for my birthday so I guess I’m an amateur golfer now

If your champion had a theme song, what would it be?
Blue would so be “the man” by Aloe Blacc . But I would say “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield fits bogie pretty well

What’s the one thing in your show box you can’t live without?
I have to have a good whip. I am so peculiar about my whips and honestly I’m a little hard on them, even if they just get a little flimsy they’re unusable to me. I think the berk gilt alone had to have a brand new one just for her at every show

What do you enjoy most about the summer national shows?
I thrive in the heat, so personally it’s so much easier to have fun when you’re sweating rather than freezing