Move over, Wilbur!
Joy — the American Mini Spokes-Pig for the Capitol II Theatre in Newton — really is “some pig.”
Just ask the adjudicators at Guinness World Records.
Appearing for her close-up in the 2020 edition of the famous record book (out now), Joy has been officially named the fastest trick porker in the universe. Her feat, overseen by two judges (aka Newton’s mayor and the city’s chief of police), was successfully completing 13 tricks, each initiated by a different command, in under one minute.
After a yearslong application process and a nail-biter of a win — breaking the record on her third and final try — Joy and her family are happy as a pig in, well, you know.
“I never thought I would own a pig that broke world records, but Joy’s whole life is basically never knowing what I am getting myself into,” said Dawn Bleeker, owner of both Joy and the movie theater she represents. “To me, she’s still just my beloved pet.”
While that may be true, Joy is far from your average hog.
A ham in more ways than one, Joy is a local celebrity and performer with her own dressing room at the theater — a peek-a-boo window lets visitors steal a gander of her from the street. And Joy is always red-carpet ready, of course, complete with painted toenails and her favorite dress, a resplendent taffeta number emblazoned with cartoon popcorn buckets (her favorite food).
Today, 7-year-old Joy is a fixture as important to the theater’s daily operations as one of its projectors and the candy counter.
Source: New Guinness World Record-holder: Meet Iowa’s movie theater pig