Funny or unkind? Pig races at Margate fair spark outcry from animal activists

The stars of the new attraction at Margate’s fair are cute little porkers with real names: Fred, Barney, Ralph and Norton. Their race names, designed to get a laugh, change all the time: Brad Pig, Danica Fat Back, Dale Earnhog Jr., Snoop Hoggy Hog and Sarah Jessica Porker.

The mini-potbellied pigs, all brothers, race around a track and even swim through a pool of water to entertain the crowds.

But animal activists aren’t laughing.

“It is a cheap parlor trick that doesn’t belong in a humane society,” said James Wildman, spokesman for the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida. “Pigs used in racing events are usually young and still developing and are often mishandled while being forced to endure noise from crowds and blaring music. The stress caused by these events poses risks to their health.”

Owner Pamela Chase dismisses those claims.

“These guys just love what they do,” Chase told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “At the end of the race, they get animal cookies. Everybody laughs. It’s just all fun.”

The racing pigs have been performing two shows on weekdays and three on weekends at The Fair at Margate. They’ll keep on performing until the fair ends on Sunday.

The pigs were a hit when the fair first opened on Nov. 17, says fair manager Ben Rainey.

“Everybody loved them,” Rainey said. “I don’t know how many people down here have seen pig races. And this pig race has a pool where the pigs jump in and swim to the other side. The crowd loved it.”

Rainey says he may have them back next year, despite complaints from activists.

“There were some people protesting, saying we shouldn’t have animals in the fair,” Rainey said. “But there’s pig races all over the country. These aren’t the only people doing it. People love pig races. And the pigs are well taken care of. These people travel with these guys. The pigs are like their pets.”

Pigs run down the track at The Fair At Margate on Nov. 20, 2023. Animal activists argue the attraction is unkind to the animals but the owner of the pigs says they love to race. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Chase, who owns a 5-acre property in Lake City, says she and her husband spoil the pigs on the road and back home, too.

“Our piggies are the stars of the show,” she said. “They’re treated like royalty. We feed them twice a day. After each race I give them cookies and pig treats. They know at the end of the track there’s some animal cookies there. When it’s real hot out we give them Gatorade before the race and at the end. We give them the orange flavor. But I imagine they’ll drink anything because they’re pigs.”

This year’s racers are almost a year old, Chase said.

Right now, the four brothers only weigh around 20 pounds to 40 pounds, but they’ll get up to 100 pounds when full grown, she said. Then it will be time to find them a new home.

“We keep them around two or three years,” Chase said. “Then they get too big. We’d rather have the faster pigs. We give them to little kids for pets or to a petting zoo or to 4-H.”

The racing pigs are not the fair’s first controversy.

Two years ago, the fair made headlines for hosting a “Banana Derby” that had capuchin monkeys dressed as jockeys riding “race” dogs around a track. The attraction drew complaints from animal activists who argued the practice was dangerous for both the monkeys and the dogs. The owner of the monkey show dismissed the claims, calling them total ridiculous nonsense.

“This year, they are at it again, hosting a pig racing attraction,” Wildman said of the fair. “Pig racing is not educational. In fact, it probably has the opposite effect on kids by teaching them that animals are just objects for our entertainment.”

A crowd gathers to watch the pigs race at The Fair At Margate on Nov. 20, 2023. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

The Animal Rights Foundation of Florida organized protests over two weekends outside the fairgrounds at the corner of Margate Boulevard and State Road 7.

Ana Campos, an animal activist from Fort Lauderdale, was at every protest to speak up for the racing pigs.

“In general, when it comes to pig racing, food is withheld throughout the whole day so they are hungry and run for food,” Campos said. “They’re extremely sensitive animals and they’re forced to swim through water. And they get a treat at the end. It’s unkind to the animals. And they’re stressed out by the large, loud crowd.”

Chase says her piggy crew is well fed and just fine with a loud crowd.

“They’re used to lawn mowers and all kinds of noise,” she said. “Nothing really phases them.”

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan