Welcome to the Pig-N-Ford races website.
The first Pig-N-Ford Race took place at the Tillamook County Fair in 1925. The idea for the race happened when a couple Tillamook County residents were transporting some pigs and one got loose. They proceded to chase the pig in their Model-T Fords and had so much fun trying to catch, and drive with the pesky pig that they thought "let's do this at the Fair".
There have been ten Model-T Fords used for the Races. They are all around eighty years old and have been passed down from generation to generation. Ownership of one of these Model-T's is highly held.
The Race begins when five contestants run from one side of the track to pick up a pig. They must then start their Model-T by hand cranking the engine with the squirming pig under their arm. Once started, they make a lap around the race track (also used for live pari-mutuel horseracing) and must stop their car, kill the engine and put the pig back in its pen. The contestant must then pick up another pig from its pen and repeat the procedure. The first contestant to complete three laps and place his pig in its appropriate pen wins.
The Pig-N-Ford races have been featured on Good Morning America, KATU's Spirit of the Northwest, National Geographic, numerous newspaper articles and two years ago AP sent a picture of Rick Hurliman winning the 1997 Championship throughout the world.
Check the Events section for upcoming races. The Photo Gallery contains the race images and don't forget to register and say your piece in the discussions page.