What happens when you gather a bunch of squealing pigs and get them to race?
You could find out when the racing pigs hit the track and up the entertainment stakes at this year’s Pine Rivers Show – the biggest and oldest running local show in the City of Moreton Bay.
For Kev Kiley, pig racing became a big part of his life when he took over Noah’s Farm back in 2000 and it has now evolved into a booming business which sees him travelling the east coast of Australia, from Cairns to Hobart.
“We have four crews on the road now, doing an average of 80 to 90 jobs a year,” Kev said. “This year, we’ll be back at the Pine Rivers Show with about six or seven pigs racing and give the crowd a bit of entertainment.
“It’s interesting how people react when they find out about the pigs – a lot of people don’t realise it’s a business, they think it’s a hobby. But my hobby’s my pub and my business is the pig races, which we also raise money for charity and it’s probably well over $10 million now.”
Working with animals can’t be easy, but Kev certainly knows a thing or two having grown up in the heart of the Mallee country in Victoria. One of his longest-standing memories certainly helps with pig racing today!
“I was the youngest of nine boys and we used to milk the cows before we went to school,” he said. “I can still remember walking past the pigs with buckets of milk and the pigs would just go nuts because they could smell the milk. It certainly comes in handy with the races we do now, that’s for sure!”
This year’s Pine Rivers Show is, as always, one for the whole family. Noel Roberts, who you’ll find capturing all the show fun behind the lens of a camera, as well as hearing his voice radiating through the ground speakers, highlights it as a popular option for many local families looking for a fun day out.
“One of the things that we have always said about the show is that once you have paid your entrance fee, you really don’t have to spend anything else if you don’t want to,” Mr Roberts said. “For families, a day at the show is very good value. They can bring in their own food and drinks if they want to, they can see all of the entertainment, animal farms and other demonstrations for free.
“We do our best to try and make it family friendly because we know everybody’s under a bit of stress with the cost of living at the moment. And if you come in before 3pm on the first day (the Friday) there’s no admission fee, it’s free for everyone.”
Along with the extremely entertaining pig racing, you can also walk with llamas, capture a bit of circus action, see what scaly and slithery creatures feature in the reptile show, admire the beauty of the Clydesdale horses, jump on a few rides, fill your arms with showbags and delectable treats, ooh and aah over the nightly fireworks and see what the riders have in store at the rodeo. There is plenty to see and do at this year’s Pine Rivers Show.
For further information, programs and tickets, visit pineriversshow.org.au
Pine Rivers Show
- Friday, 2 August, 9am-10pm; Saturday, 3 August, 9am-10pm; Sunday, 4 August, 9am-4pm.
- Pine Rivers Showgrounds
- 757 Gympie Road, Lawnton.
