It might seem like a “when pigs fly" story.
But this is a true tale about pigs being wrestled in the mud — a classic event at the Teton County Fair in years past — and who, going forward, will be allowed to wrestle them once again.
The Teton County Commissioners voted 3-1 Tuesday to bring back pig wrestling for the 2026 Teton County Fair after a six-year hiatus.
But the vote comes with a twist: only children and women can compete, and all competitors must take a 4-H training course called “Youth for the Quality Care of Animals” prior to wrestling the pigs.
Commissioner Natalia Macker, the only female on the board, was absent for the vote.
The issue of whether to bring back pig wrestling to the Teton County Fair has proven controversial, pitting Western tradition and what some see as “clean family” nose-to-nose (snout-to-snout?) fun with concerns over the humane treatment of swine.
“It’s a cultural issue that runs kind of deep about how people and animals relate to each other and how we show respect,” said Teton County Commissioner Len Carlman.
Carlman was one of the three who voted in favor of pig wrestling returning to the county fair.
He said he would not have voted for it if others had not agreed to the requirement that all wrestlers take the “Youth for the Quality Care of Animals” training course, a suggestion he brought to the board.
“My interest in the course was to increase knowledge and safety of livestock but also to connect the young people with 4-H,” Carlman said.
Commissioner Luther Propst cast the sole “nay” vote against pig wrestling. He could not be reached for comment.
Amy Renova, vice chair of the Teton County Fair Board who attended the meeting, said most pig wrestling participants are in 4-H and already take the course.
‘A Pig Is Not A Toy'
Earlier this month, the Jackson Hole News & Guide ran a public poll asking if pig wrestling should return to the county fair. More than 1,200 responses were recorded, with 393 voting, “Yes, it’s good clean fun” and 810 voting, “No, it’s animal cruelty.”
Carlman said the poll response, while not scientific, was for him one of the telling indicators of the public’s interest in the issue.
About 25 people showed up to witness the vote Tuesday morning, with more than a dozen who joined via Zoom.
In October, the Teton County Fair Board approved a $5,500 contract with Mark Romriell of Idaho Falls to provide pigs for the 2026 county fair pig wrestling event.
County commissioners agreed to the contract in early November. But they pulled back on that decision last week after voices against the pig wrestling spoke up.
Valerie Conger, a real estate assistant in Moran, was one of them.
“I believe that a pig is not a toy,” she told Cowboy State Daily. "It experiences fear. It experiences stress. We are tossing it around like a toy for a few laughs.
“It is just plain wrong,” she said.
No Men Allowed
Carlman said Tuesday’s vote was an attempt at a compromise as commissioners wrestled with both sides of the issue.
“Removing the 18-and-up men’s division took out the stronger guys who might be able to squeeze a pig and throw it around,” said Carlman.
He said it’s not a simple matter of the old guard wanting pig wrestling and newcomers being against it.
“There is such an easy cliché of, ‘Oh, the newcomers in Jackson are wrecking everything,’” he said. “Even the old-timers are divided on this.”
The vote has sparked both humor and outrage on social media, particularly with the exclusion of men age 18 and up from participating.
“That’s ridiculous to me,” Conger said. “The fact that they feel they need to put restrictions in place is somewhat of an indication that they [are aware].”
At Tuesday’s meeting, Renova, the county fair vice chair, invited the commissioners to her ranch to experience pigs up close. She did so after hearing the term “manhandling the pigs” several times during the meeting.
“You can come and see what it takes to move pigs from the winter barn to the summer pen,” she said. “Have a hands-on experience.”
