Hi, my name is Morgan Curry. I'm 14 years old, in 9th grade, and homeschooled. I am starting my 3rd year of 4H with the Chautauqua 4H group. This year, I started the new project of raising a show hog for the Hillsborough County Fair.

I purchased my show hog on June 22nd from Glarner Farms in Georgia. He weighed 85 pounds when I brought him home, and over the past three months, he has gained 95 pounds - now weighing in at 180! I named him Thirty-Six because that was the number on my ticket, which was drawn second-to-last in the fair lottery. (Hillsborough County only allows 100 kids to show swine.)

Thirty-Six is a purebred Hampshire barrow and loves being sprayed with water - it's one of his favorite games! Every day, I care for him by brushing, bonding, training, and feeding. Raising a show hog has already taught me so much. I've learned patience, responsibility, respect, and how to solve problems. It's taken a lot of hard work to get this far, and I'm proud of what I've accomplished. My next goal is to continue improving his training for showmanship and help him gain more muscle and weight so he can be at his best for the fair.

After the fair, I plan to save my earnings to help me attend the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine.