- Robinson's Racing Pigs are appearing at the Allentown Fair for a 15th year
- The pigs race four at a time around a sawdust track and also dive into a rectangular pool
- The pigs have pun-infused names like Dale Oinkhardt Jr. and Taylor Not So Swift
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Just down the path a bit from Smokin’ Soul BBQ and Bacon on a Stick, a dozen pigs were really cookin’.
On a racing course.
Robinson’s Racing Pigs, among several special free attractions at this year's Allentown Fair, served up heaping helpings of fun on Thursday.
Pigs with pun-infused names like Snoop Hoggy Hogg and Dale Oinkhardt Jr. led the show. A dozen pigs — ranging from 5 months old to 10 years — racing four at a time around a 150-foot, oval, fenced-in track laden with sawdust.
When Taylor Not So Swift finished last, she hung her snout for minutes. When it came to losing, it was clear she just couldn’t shake it off.
Another racing event had four of the numbered pacing porkers racing up a ramp, flopping into a 24-foot rectangular pool, also known as the hogwash.
The pigs paddled to the other side, trotted down another ramp and raced the final 75 feet to the finish line — all to the delight of the standing-room-only crowd at Machinery Avenue Court.
"Every time we come to Allentown, we feel like we’re with family.”Randy Ross, co-owner, Robinson's Racing Pigs
“I was cheering for number three!” 5-year-old Tinalynne Del Primo of Allentown said, smiling. “I hope she wins next time!”
Based on the reaction of the crowd, whenever Robinson’s Racing Pigs are at the Allentown Fair, everybody wins.
A cookie as the prize
Randy and Sharon Ross have been in the pig-racing business for nearly 40 years. Hailing from north Florida, they showcase the pigs’ running and swimming prowess at 50 to 60 fairs each year.
“We attend fairs mainly on the East Coast,” said Randy Ross, who serves as pig race announcer. “We’ve been coming to the Allentown Fair for 15 years now. It’s a great place. Every time we come to Allentown, we feel like we’re with family.”
Allentown audiences have responded in kind. The racing pigs are consistently among the most popular attractions at the fair.
Paul and Carlota Robinson started racing pigs in 1984. They soon became a staple at fairs in their home state of Florida and around the country.
Their running pigs appeared on all major TV networks, "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson and later with Jay Leno.
When the Robinsons died in the 1990s, the Rosses took over their business. In 2000, they created the Paddling Porker Show that awards each winning pig the ultimate prize: An Oreo.
The pigs even have a theme song:
“Robinson’s Racing Pigs … Robinson’s Racing Pigs … they’re the smartest little pigs, the funnest little pigs, the fastest little pigs in all the world.”
“Everybody knows the pigs can run,” Sharon Ross said. “Not everyone thought pigs could swim.
“Watching the smiles on everyone’s faces. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing little kids giggling and laughing at our pigs. It’s a big reason we do what we do. Making the kids happy.”Robinson's Racing Pigs co-owner Sharon Ross
“When we first thought about adding a swimming race, we knew a guy in Florida who told us pigs don’t swim. But then we were at the Suwannee River back in Florida. We saw an alligator swimming after a little pig. But the pig was swimming away. That’s how it started for us.”
Asked what the most memorable part of running the pigs at fairs was, Sharon Ross didn’t hesitate to answer.
“Watching the smiles on everyone’s faces,” she said. “There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing little kids giggling and laughing at our pigs. It’s a big reason we do what we do. Making the kids happy.”
The Robinson pigs race daily at Allentown Fair at 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 8:30 p.m. The final race will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday.
