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Three-Peat As UHS Senior Wins Swine Show - Again

    Cheers filled the Lake County Fair livestock barn on Saturday night, when Drew Parkinson ran in - just five minutes late after hurrying back from Gainesville where she was showing livestock.  The show had been held for Parkinson’s pending return to the fairgrounds, so she could be in the ring with her Grand Champion winning swine, annually the first animal sold at the auction.
    For those planning on showing next year, one could not be blamed if they were cheering Parkinson’s pending graduation from Umatilla High School.  Maybe next year they’ll have a chance.
    During Friday night’s swine show, Parkinson secured her third straight overall win at the show, besting nearly 160 other entries on her way to an unheard of three-peat in the competition.  
    For Parkinson, who will graduate from Umatilla High School in May and next move on to college and planned career in the agri-sciences, winning is great, but it’s only part of the story.
    “Honestly, I never thought something like that would be possible,” she said on Monday.  “Winning three times is an amazing feeling, but it’s not the best part to me.  The best part is the people, seeing everyone waiting outside the ring, the calls and messages from people across the state, and just knowing how many people are in your corner.”
    Parkinson’s path to the show ring started as a fourth grader, when her grandfather encouraged her to join 4-H and she made her first trip to the Lake County Fair.
    “I was immediately hooked.  I started out showing horses, but over time, with a lot of encouragement from people in my club, I found my way into livestock.  I got my first show pig in seventh grade, and that’s when everything really clicked for me.”
    Her interest spread into showing breeding goats, lambs, and even a heifer, but swine always drew her back.
    “I’ve enjoyed all of it, but pigs are definitely my favorite and where my passion is.
     Showing a winning pig takes hours upon hours of dedication.  Working with the animal to ensure it is ready to perform in the ring, handling its nourishment, and building it up to be at maximum health at showtime are all parts of showing a winning pig.  Good stock helps, also, and Parkinson has used the same supplier for years.
    “I’ve been really fortunate to build relationships with people in the industry who’ve helped guide me.  I met my breeder, Kyle Mendes of CK2 Showpigs, at a pig clinic in eighth grade.  I went up to thank him after, and that turned into a mentorship and friendship that’s meant a lot to me.  Since then, we’ve worked together to pick out animals that fit my goals each year.  It usually starts with talking through what I want to accomplish, and then finding the right livestock to help get me there.”
    As Parkinson readies to close this chapter of her show career, she sent out a large amount of appreciation to the many family, friends, and show community who have been a part of her experience.
    “My Grandma, my breeder, and my show family have made this experience what it is.  Having families come up to me and say their kids look up to me or wouldn’t be here without my help means more than any buckle or banner ever could.”