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I remember being the last camper to 'leave' Winnfield on Monday morning on more than one occasion and as I pulled out, reflecting on the memories and the new friendships I had made and how special it was to be a part of the Uncle Earl family. Back in them days, Jimmy Young who is the founder father of the Uncle Earls, was the 'daddy' of the Uncle Earl's family.
I also remember back about '97 or '98 how fast it grew and got so big that the 2 day Saturday/Sunday event was attended by so many people one year we bayed hogs non stop all day Saturday, all night Saturday night, all day Sunday, and didn't finish until 2:00 am on Monday morning! That was when it was decided that it would have to be a 3 day event the next year and start on Friday.
The reason we bayed hogs 24 hours a day was because no one expected for so many people to show up. And because Jimmy wanted to accommodate everyone, he called a meeting of all the hog hunter/competitors and advised everyone that so many people had registered in the 1 dog and the 2 dog that we would not have enough time to get every one in the baying if we didn't bay hogs and dogs non stop around the clock.
So Jimmy put it to a vote and we all agreed that we would bay hogs all night, and only stop to give the judges and pen help a break to eat for supper, breakafast and lunch.
It was at that meeting that Jimmy stood up on the platform of the livestock chute and said: "As I look out among all you hog hunters, I realize we all got one thing in common. We all love the smell of a stinking hog!"
I am so glad to see that we have kept it going, and 'overcome' those humaniacs who tried to shut it all down about 10 years ago.
Hog dog baying is not only bigger and better, it is becoming a very financially lucrative nationwide industry.
Keep up the good work my friends and it will 'just keep getting bigger and better'....
20 years ago, I went to Village Mills, Tx. every month for the Saturday night baying, year round, and Bruce Hall was the judge. Ohhhh, the memories...
That bay pen is now called the East Texas Hog Baying Championshps and has 3 or 4 bayings a year and is getting so big it is almost bigger than the Uncle Earls.
