Bailey Ball wins big at 2025 Tennessee State Junior Swine Show

For Bailey, the reward came the instant she heard her pigs had won

By Charlotte Underwood

COOKEVILLE, TN (WLAF)- Campbell County’s Bailey Ball earned top honors at the 2025 Tennessee State Junior Swine Show held in early January at the Hyder-Burks Agricultural Pavilion at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville. The event was held January 8^th through January 11 and included multiple categories of swine showing, as well as educational contests.

Bailey took six pigs to the show and “placed high with all of them.” Her big wins included Overall Grand Champion Breeding Gilt and Overall Grand Champion Market Hog, as well as Third Overall Market Hog. She was first in class with five of the six pigs she brought and second in class with her sixth pig. Breed champions in drives Duroc Barrow, Chester Barrow, and crossbred Breed champions in drives Berk gilt, and cross gilt. She won first in poster, first in sales talk, as well as Premier exhibitor market hogs and second premier exhibitor gilts.

Bailey is in the sixth grade and attends Campbell County Christian Academy. She was 11 when the show took place in early January but recently turned 12.

You could say farming runs in the family for Bailey Ball, who is the daughter of Billy and Jamie Ball, owners of the Ball Farm. Bailey began her first 4-H Swine project in 2023. Her first show was November of 2023 with her first set of winter season pigs. She sold those pigs for freezer meat, purchased new pigs for the summer season and has showed those since May of 2024. She showed pigs last fall and cleaned up at the state fair, winning Champion Purebred Barrow as well as wins at multiple other shows and contests.

“Typically, most kids have competed all winter and this is a final show for Tennessee 4-Hers to show off their swine projects,” Jamie Ball explained.

Bailey shows pigs year-round, participating in both summer and winter shows, which is a dedication in and of itself, because pigs are “picky and don’t like to be too hot or too cold,” according to UT Extension Agent Steve Edwards.

January’s swine show is the state’s 4-H competition and is held once a year. Students from all over Tennessee compete in the show ring. The competition is open to grades 4^th-12^th. These students spend countless hours preparing their animals for the show. Bailey’s win of the two top honors is “a testament to her dedication” Edwards said.

“Bailey won premier exhibitor, which is a culmination of three different contests, the show competition, which is how well the pig does, the showmanship competition, which is how well the kids present and the educational part of the competition which is a test on breeds, feeds, meats, and swine equipment,” Edwards said. He also said that as far as he knew, Bailey was the first 4-Her from Campbell County to win both Market Hog and Breeding Gilt together.

“Bailey spent many long hours working with her pigs to earn such top honors. She works hard at it, and she’s competitive. It’s a family deal; mom and dad have to be willing to haul her around and she has to work those pigs every day to train them to walk with their heads up. These kids have those pigs just strut,” Edwards said, adding that the 4-H Swine Program teaches “responsibility and work ethic.”

According to Bailey, “the Grand Champion Breeding Gilt and Grand Champion Market Hog were actually litter mates!”

“A brother and sister won the same year. I don’t think that’s ever been done before. I was pretty happy,” Bailey said.

“Showing livestock is important for kids because it helps them develop valuable life skills and responsibility, time management, and leadership. It teaches them how to care for animals, practice good sportsmanship, and work hard toward their goals. Plus, it builds confidence, creates friendships, and provides opportunities to learn and grow in a fun and rewarding way,” Jamie Ball said.

For Bailey, the reward came the instant she heard her pigs had won.

“When the judge announced my pig as the winner, it felt like all my hard work had paid off. I was so proud of my pig and myself. It was the best moment of my life so far!” Bailey Ball said.

The UT Extension 4-H Swine Program is open to kids grades 4 through 12. The program is a great opportunity for kids to expand into the swine industry. For more information about the program, contact the UT Extension office at 423.562.9474. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-02/25/2025-6AM-PHOTOS SUBMITTED)