PRIZE PIG — Ethan Strenge shows his Grand Champion market gilt at the 2019 Minnesota State Fair. (Photo by Empire Imagery)
By JIM LUTGENS
Publisher
Almost everyone in New Richland knows of Ethan Strenge.
He’s the kid who grew up with a misshapen face, the result of a rare form of cancer that forced the removal of most of his right cheekbone. It hasn’t been pretty, and Strenge — who was diagnosed 14 years ago — became known around town as the kid who overcame so much.
Now he can be also recognized as a state record holder.
Strenge, who turned 18 in July, earned Grand Champion honors with his market gilt at the Minnesota State Fair, netting a record $17,500 in the auction ($10,500 selling price, $7,000 donations). He also won the use of a Featherlite livestock trailer for one year. The money, of course, is set aside for college, but first there’s his senior year at NRHEG High School, and another year that promises to be just as eventful (more on that later).
Strenge’s path to state began with Grand Champion honors at the Waseca County Fair. He accepted the optional trip to the state fair, where there were more than 100 market gilts in seven classes. After winning his class, it was on to an extremely competitive final round.
“The judge looked at a lot of pigs, but he looked at mine the most,” said Strenge.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Strenge’s pig was chosen overall Grand Champion.
Although he’s been involved in 4-H for many years, winning county fair Grand Champion honors, this was Strenge’s first time showing pigs.
He drove an hour and a half one way three times a week to the Iowa farm of his sister, Katie, and her husband Lane Worden, to prepare the prize pig, which he did not name. He’d spend about an hour walking the pig and working its hair and skin.
It’s no secret that pigs are among the smartest animals, and Strenge said his definitely displayed a personality. The pig, in fact, seems to be smiling in the front-page photo that accompanies this article.
“Their personalities are different,” said Strenge. “Some days, they don’t want to walk. Others, they pretty much walk themselves.”
Strenge had a pretty good idea he was working with a good pig.
“We kind of knew that we were going to make the auction,” he said. “But we didn’t know we’d do that well. That was kind of a surprise.”
Strenge is proud to say he’s been cancer-free for 12 years, though his condition does require yearly checkups at Mayo Clinic.
He hasn’t let that slow him down much, though.
He owns his own business, Strenge Lawn Care, and has about 20 regular customers.
Strenge plans to take a year off before college to have surgery to take bone out of his leg and put it where his jawbone was, surgery that was not possible until he was fully grown.
“So I’ll look like everyone else,” he said.
Strenge seems to take it all in stride.
“I think it’s gonna be pretty cool,” he said. “That they can do that to people, it just blows my mind.”