One of Oregon’s strangest annual races is turning 100 this year.
No, we’re not talking about Davenport Days, where people have raced couches and recliners through downtown Silverton since 1990.
Nor do we mean the da Vinci Days’ kinetic sculpture races in Corvallis, started 32 years ago.
And it’s not the Portland Soapbox Derby, which celebrates its 26th anniversary this month.
This year is the centennial of the Pig-N-Ford races at the Tillamook County Fair.
The concept is simple. The event has racers crank up a Model T Ford, grab a live pig and drive three laps around a dirt track.
“Get that pig, handle him with care,” longtime organizer Parry Hurliman told The Oregonian/OregonLive in 2019, “give him a ride around the track, get a new pig, give him a ride around, and do it one more time, and then you’re done.”
The cars used are stock Model Ts. The pigs weigh about 35 pounds. The winner takes home a trophy and a year’s worth of bragging rights.
The Pig-N-Ford races began in 1925.
“Two fellows were running with a Model T down a county road,” Hurliman said. “A farmer’s pig was loose, they chased him down, got him back in the car, gave him a ride back, and they thought that would be a neat event at the Tillamook County Fair. They proposed it, did it, and the crowd loved it. It’s been going ever since.”
Tillamook has gotten national attention for its unique race over the years. In 2013, the Travel Channel aired an episode of “Edge of America” about the races, and in 2014 the Wall Street Journal chronicled the drama behind the scenes.
The Pig-N-Ford races are part of general admission to the Tillamook County Fair, Aug. 6-9. Two qualifying races are held starting at 5:30 p.m., with the championships on Saturday, Aug. 9. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children up to age 12. A full schedule of events is available at tillamookfair.com.
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