Eleven-year-old Aaron Kerlee is having a very good year.
A member of the California Junior Livestock Association, Aaron has won every Junior Showmanship Contest he has entered this year, including the California Pork Producers Association, Red Wave Classic, Western Bonanza A&B, Circle of Champions, Monterey Bay Classic and the MJC Showmaster Classic.
Seven out of seven! And that’s just January through June.
Aaron has also added a Supreme and Reserve Supreme Championship to his hog points over the past few months. He is leading the state in points for showmanship, is second in his age division for the jackpot and is fifth in the overall hog division.
Started at Age Three
This soon-to-be sixth-grader from Denair, California is an “old hand” at raising pigs. “I started when I was three,” Aaron says. “When I was little, my uncle showed pigs. He got each of us a pig for our first birthday.”
Aaron still sources his prize-winning pigs from his uncle, Ryan Watje, a Purina HONOR® Show Chow® Showpig Ambassador. But these days, Aaron shoulders the financial responsibility himself.
Paying His Way
“When they go to the feed store, both Aaron and his older brother Kyle bring along their own checkbooks,” says his mother Maddi. “They sell their pigs at the county fair and that money goes into their checking accounts and savings accounts. The savings accounts are for college—that money is off limits. But the checking accounts are for running their projects,” says Aaron’s Mom proudly.
Aaron even does the breeding himself, artificially, according to his mother. “He just spent $400 on semen. He’s looking for high quality pigs that can be sold.”
The Rewards of Feeding HONOR® Show Chow® Aaron also pays for his own feed and supplies. “I feed HONOR® Show Chow® Showpig Finisher—actually, First Wean One, then Showpig Prep, then Showpig Finisher,” says Aaron. “I’m glad that I’ve fed HONOR® Show Chow® because it’s really working out.”
Joy of Competing is a Family Tradition
Now in his second year of 4-H, Aaron says he enjoys competing because he enjoys learning and meeting new people. He’s also in the lead in a points competition to win a computer from Best Buy.
In spite of his incredible winning streak, Aaron remains humble. Although slightly reticent to talk about his own accomplishments, he’s very forthcoming when expressing his appreciation for the support he has gotten from his dad, his grandfather, his uncle, his brother who also shows pigs, and his Mom who grew up showing steers. In fact, Aaron is hoping to try his hand at showing steers sometime in the future. In the meantime, he has his eight show pigs and he’s looking forward to August 1 when his crossbred sow is going to farrow.