For one afternoon at the Webster County Fair, kids who might never otherwise get into a show ring will get the chance to do exactly that — paired with a mentor, a pig, and a crowd cheering them on.

The event is part of Bacon Buddies, an Iowa Pork Producers Association program that pairs youth with disabilities, ages 4 to 18, with young mentors who guide them through every step of showing a pig. Mentors help their buddy get the hog ready, walk them through what to expect, answer questions along the way, and stay beside them in the ring.

“Watching these kids light up when they’re in the arena is the whole reason we do it,” said Emilia Bloomquist, chair of the Bacon Buddies program and the current Webster County Pork Queen. “They walk away knowing something new about hogs, and they have a great time getting there.”

Registration is now open for both participants and mentors. Mentors must be between 8 and 18 years old. They aren’t required to own a hog themselves, but Bloomquist said some familiarity with the animals is useful once things get moving in the ring.

This will be Bloomquist’s third year helping organize the event, and she said it’s become one of the things she looks forward to most each summer.

“It’s just a really good day,” she said. “You see the same families come back, you see new kids try it for the first time — there’s nothing else quite like it at the fair.”

Families interested in registering a child, or older youth interested in serving as a mentor, can reach Emilia Bloomquist at emilia.bloomquist@gmail.com or Gregg Hora at 515-570-2119.