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Don’t Just Dream for it,
WORK FOR IT!
eing the youngest of four children, it’s no surprise that when it was finally his turn, Sonny made the wait worth his while. Sonny Bohannon is the son of Lloyd and Dianna Bohannon of Wellington, Texas. He grew up watching his older siblings, Bo, Brittni and Alabama, in the show ring, patiently (or not so patiently) waiting for it to be his turn. Sonny’s show career began in Dallas at the State Fair; the nervous third grader entered the ring with his big yellow pipe and after that, he
was hooked.It did not take long before the family decided to start raising some of their own. “Bama Show Pigs” began seven years ago; now with six sows the primary focus is Hampshires and Crossbreds. It is safe to say this operation is a family affair. Sonny says his dad is the one always striving for a champion, his mom makes sure they have the prettiest, cleanest pigs going into the ring, and Alabama is Sonny’s biggest fan at every show. Outside of his immediate family is Sonny’s “show family” which includes Mike Clay, who provided the foundation to Bama Show Pigs. Their first
crossbred gilt was purchased with Mike and he still assists in matching genetics. Also, the Walser family has been with Sonny every step of the way. The Walser family hasn’t just helped Sonny out in the show ring; in fact, he recalls being four years old at the Brenham sift when Rodney Walser pulled his tooth with a pair of needle-nose plyers. Rumor has it the tooth fairy felt bad for him and left a twenty dollar bill under his pillow that night. “My favorite part of raising hogs is the anticipation of maybe a Grand Champion coming from one of our litters, or when one of our hogs does really well in the ring. As a breeder, simple success gives me satisfaction, but
“I keep pushing for the big wins!”