Animal rights advocates protest fair’s pig-wrestling plan

CORYDON, Ind. (AP) – Organizers of one of Indiana’s oldest county fairs say they’re sticking with a plan to offer a pig-wrestling event despite concerns from animal rights advocates.

The Harrison County Fair has hired a Rushville promoter to put on the event during the fair in July. Fair board president Jeff Byerly tells the Louisville, Kentucky, Courier-Journal that officials decided to add the event after it was endorsed as a “great show” at a recent fair convention in Indianapolis.

Teams of four people will try to catch a pig in a muddy arena within 45 seconds. Byerly says contestants are rarely successful and that a veterinarian will be on site.

The River Valley Humane Society says the event mistreats animals. A petition to ban the event has nearly 10,000 supporters.