Tuesday, August 26, 2014

The great pig race

When you complete the great Beartooth you land in the burg of Red lodge, Montana...or maybe Wyoming. You travel in and out of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho so often that I am never quite sure where we are. Anyway, Red Lodge is a great little town.

When we first checked into the Inn, I asked the innkeeper my usual question, "What should we make sure we do in Red Lodge?" She said that if we drive about ten miles out of town ( about 2 blocks in Montana distances) we could see the local Pig Races! It took a lot of convincing to get Marie to agree that this was a good idea, but after a couple of glasses of wine and some fine quick-talking, cajoling, and pleading, we were on our way.

It was a beautiful drive through mostly cattle country. Along the way we passed an old coal mine that looked like it was frozen in time. Then we saw the marker explaining the tragedy that befell the area. Very sad.



A few miles later we reached the Bear Creek Saloon where we were warmly greeted and put on a list for a table. The place was packed. We were also told to go order a drink and stand in this line.  Not sure what the line was for, but we ordered a couple libations, which were very inexpensive by the way, and stood in line as instructed. 



Turns out the line was to place a bet on the pigs! Really! When we finally got to the front, I learned that you bought one of 25 squares for a particular race and whether or not your square was in play was determined by a drawing. Only five of the squares are in play.  Not great odds, but we bought four squares anyway and after the drawing found out that of the five pigs racing, we had two of them.  A little more interested now.

We ate dinner and the races started.  We were in race three.  Palms sweaty, hearts palpitating, we lined the track to watch hoping that fate would bring us good fortune...actually it was way less dramatic than that. It was after all five pigs racing around a 50 foot track.

Race announced, pigs in the gates,

And they're off

Around the backstretch

And the winner is


Not us, unfortunately. Oh well, the pigs are happy and well fed. The place will serve no pork, out of respect.  Their motto is: the Bear Creek Saloon, where pigs DO fly!










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