Lindsay LoHam, Kevin Bacon and Justin BeBoar race at The Big E!

Forget about Nascar, Moto-X and the Kentucky Derby – Swifty Swine is the race to see at this year’s Big E! Pigs might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about racing – but we think they are certainly the most entertaining racing attraction going.

Meet the racers – Durocs, Hampshires, ferocious Yorkshires and good natured pot bellies. These contestants give it their all in each race. The “power-packed piglets” range in age from four weeks to four-years-old.

So you might find yourself asking, how do you get a pig to run? The secret is an Oreo cookie. Pig trainer, Henrick Swanepoel, told us that pigs are actually very smart. They can learn better than dogs! Henrick, a Cape Town, South Africa, native, has been training pigs for 21 years and has been with Swifty Swine Racing Pigs for a year and a half. He absolutely loves the pigs. “They are my family here,” he said while he was holding his sweet 4-week-old pig Honey Boo Boo. 

 Honey Boo Boo travels and competes along with friends, Kevin Bacon, Brad Pig, Justin BeBoar, Kim KardashingHam, Sarah Jessica Porker and Lindsay LoHam. The starlets are also joined by Anthony Oscar Meyer Wiener, Hilary RodHam Clinton, Barack-O-Ribs Obama and Arnold SchwarzenHogger.

Not only do the pigs run – they can also swim! Swifty, a water loving piglet, is the star of the show. During half-time, Swifty entertains the crowd as he gracefully dives and swims across a water trough. Audience members can also hold and take pictures with the athletes after the race.

Zack Johnson, of Dallas, Texas, is the owner of Swifty Swine Swimming and Racing Pigs and the official Swine Master of the races. He knows how to get the crowd going with his quirky jokes and auctioneer persona. Zach and his crew do about 40 shows a year across the country. After The Big E, they are headed up to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Swift Swine Racing Pigs adds to the legacy of great family entertainment at this year’s Big E. The company travels all over the United States and we are lucky enough to have them make a stop here in West Springfield, Mass.

At 11am, 12:30, 2, 3:30, 5 and 6:30pm the adorable racers dash around the track to get their snouts into that Oreo cookie prize on the other side of the finish line. The racetrack is set up outside the Mallary Rotunda. So, if you have never seen a pig race before – you are in for a treat! Swifty Swine Racing Pigs top the category for cutest Fair attraction.