Winner Andrus Maileht (front M) recorded at the pig squeal competition in Estonia. In a curious competition at an agricultural fair in Tartu, Estonia, over a dozen participants competed in imitating pig sounds. Photo: Alexander Welscher/dpa
Keystone
Letting off steam for once: In a curious competition at an agricultural fair in Tartu, Estonia, around a dozen participants competed in imitating pig sounds. The pig imitators squealed and grunted as much as they could on an open-air stage – and as authentically as possible. The winner of the pig squealing competition was local hero Andrus Maileht.
“It just came out of me,” Maileht revealed the secret of his success to the German Press Agency after his victory. The Estonian took home a voucher for half a pig and sausages as a prize for his piggy performance, which was loudly cheered by the audience.
Who is the biggest pig?
The winner was chosen by a jury consisting of representatives from the Estonian pig farming industry, who judged the participants on the basis of criteria such as authenticity, power and entertainment value. Sound, presentation and humor all counted. The more memorable, the better. “You have to be bold, cheerful and enthusiastic,” said organizer Made Britta Eensalu.
“The main criterion is the emotional criterion,” jury member Aare Kalson told dpa. The decisive factor for him was that the winner’s performance was “very professional”. When he closed his eyes, he could not tell whether he was on a pig farm or an exhibition site. “I really felt like I was on a farm,” said Kalson.
Entertaining competition with a serious background
Eensalu was also full of praise for Maileht, who said he had heard about the competition on the radio and had spent around three days preparing for it: “It was clear to me that he had really gone out of his way to show people something special. And I think the audience sensed that very well,” said the manager of the Vasula Lihatöötus pig farm.
The competition in Estonia’s second largest city was held for the first time this year – with a very serious background. The aim was to draw attention to the difficult situation of pig farmers in Estonia. “The idea of this competition is to put pigs in the spotlight, to make people aware of them,” said Eensalu. “Many people don’t know how pigs really make sounds.”