Pigmania Pig Races (1987 and 1988)

The Pigmania Pig Races were a lively entertainment feature at Disneyland’s Big Thunder Ranch during the Disneyland State Fair promotion in the falls of 1987 and 1988. Held as part of a broader festival with carnival games, fair foods, and parades, the pig races featured real pigs competing on a track, accompanied by the musical antics of the Barley Boys band.

Here are 10 fun facts about the Pigmania Pig Races,:

1. State Fair Spectacle: The Pigmania Pig Races debuted in fall 1987 at Big Thunder Ranch as a highlight of Disneyland’s State Fair promotion, running for two seasons (1987 and 1988) alongside events like the State Fair Parade and carnival booths in the Hub.
2. Barley Boys Band: The races were hosted by the Barley Boys, a comedic musical group featuring Farley, Charley, Marley, Harley, and Cousin Ed, who performed lively songs about pigs, including odes to their “wonderful attributes,” setting a humorous tone for the show.
3. Three-Race Format: Each 15-minute Pigmania show included three races: a standard sprint, a “Three Little Pigs” race themed to the 1988 “Olym-Pigs,” and a chaotic race with hefty black potbelly pigs that often crashed into each other.
4. Audience Hog Calls: The audience was divided into four sections, each led by a Barley Boy to cheer for their pig with unique hog calls, like “SU-E-E-E-Y PIG” (Farley) or “Piggy, piggy, piggy, HOG!” (Charley), boosting crowd energy.
5. Color-Coded Vests: Juvenile pigs wore color-coded vests to distinguish them, racing on a small dirt track with obstacles like tunnels and low hurdles, chasing a food prize (typically high-protein feed) at the finish line.
6. Barley Boys to Hillbillies: Several Barley Boys members, including Kirk Wall, Dennis Fetchet, Mario Hidalgo, and John Marshall, later formed Billy Hill and the Hillbillies, which debuted in Critter Country in 1989 for Splash Mountain’s opening. The races featured no official Disney characters, but the Barley Boys’ exaggerated hillbilly personas and pig wranglers in overalls added a cartoonish, Western flair to the show, tying it to Frontierland’s aesthetic.
7. Battle Hymn Finale: The show ended with the band and pigs “marching” to a rousing rendition of The Battle Hymn of the Republic with pig-themed lyrics, creating a comedic, patriotic close to the races.
8. Big Thunder Ranch Stage: Held at Big Thunder Ranch, the races used a compact outdoor arena with bleacher seating, fitting the ranch’s Western theme and leveraging its space for animal-based entertainment.
9. Family-Friendly Fun: Designed as a family-friendly event, the races avoided betting and focused on pure entertainment, with pigs’ playful antics and the Barley Boys’ humor appealing to all ages.
10. Short-Lived Event: The Pigmania races ran only during the two State Fair seasons (fall 1987 and 1988), ending as Disneyland shifted Big Thunder Ranch to other uses, like petting zoos and seasonal overlays.