Marigold Racing Pig Animals at Work

Welcome to Animals At Work. You just gonna leave me here?

BAAA

Around the world, millions of animals have jobs.

Come on, Guido, let's go.

This is the show that brings you the most extraordinary, bizarre

and unusual animals at work.

Coming up...

Tillie, the Jack Russell artist, has her latest exhibition in New York.

Tillie, what do you think?

Big Girl, the Burmese python,

helps some nervous Nellies get over their fear of snakes.

GIRLS SCREAM

And how will Marigold fare against some tough opposition

in her very last race?

Everyone enjoys pig racing -

you never ever know what's gonna happen.

(Just watch the show.)

MONKEY CHATTERS

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

BIRD CHIRPS

BIRD CHIRPS

Hi and welcome to the show.

In the racing world,

you would normally be mad to put money on a porker.

However, if you were to hedge your bets on some certain hogs,

you might well bring home the bacon

and leave others a pork-scratching their heads.

I'm talking about pig racing,

and though they're not normally ones to sweat it on the job,

there is one animal at work that is certainly hot to trot.

Warwickshire, England.

We're here to meet a top team of racing pigs.

Their job is to race the 400-metre sprint and hurdle,

in front of crowds of adoring punters.

CHEERING

Rebecca has been a pig trainer for many years.

Myself, my husband and our children live on a farm,

and we have a variety of animals.

CATS MIAOW

Chickens...

pony...

..camels...

and, of course, the most important,

the racing pigs.

SNORING

Marigold is my favourite pig. She's the star.

She's the one, I hate to say, always wins.

CASH REGISTER CHIMES

# Cos you're filthy... #

Marigold is the team's star runner.

But like all top athletes, Marigold's career is all too short.

At seven months old,

her glory days are almost over, and retirement is looming.

This is the last day of training before Marigold's final race,

and she wants to go down in sporting history.

Marigold, and the rest of Rebecca's team of talented porkers,

get hired out as a star attraction at county fairs.

The cash helps pay for the team's food and board.

Whilst Marigold's track triumphs impress the spectators,

it's her personality that's won over the hearts of the training team.

I think Marigold is my friend, because...

a pig - you normally think, "Oh, yeah a pig.

"Phew."

You know, they're really smelly and muddy creatures,

but I don't think they are.

If you get to know them really well,

you can basically, um, go into their land

and talk to them in your own way.

She's big.

She's...kind of bossy.

She does sometimes pick on the others,

particularly for food, when they're fighting for it.

But on the whole, they're really very friendly together -

they cuddle up together when they sleep at night.

SNORING

They're very nice, these pigs.

They're all very nice.

Expectations are riding high on Marigold.

The next show we're going to be going to is the Royal Norfolk.

It's a special show for these pigs - this will be their last show,

and I'm pretty sure that Marigold

will be putting in her best performance ever.

It is Marigold's last race,

and I am, actually, a bit sad,

cos we've had them for a really long time,

and you get to know them and their personalities

and everything, and they're kind of your friends.

Marigold's supporters are behind her all the way.

They want her to finish her sporting career as a champion racing pig.

I think Marigold is going to do very well.

Later on, we'll find out how Marigold does in her last race.

Will she live up to all the hype and bring home the bacon?

Now we're off to meet a doggie artist in New York.

This is Manhattan, home to famous artists such as Andy Warhol.

Now there's a new face on the scene.

Tillie. Jack Russell and abstract artist.

By her side is her devoted assistant, Bowman.

Tillie's first exhibition was in Williamsburg, Brooklyn,

at Beethoven's studio.

A friend of mine was opening a small gallery,

and when he met Tillie and saw her work,

he decided to make her his inaugural artist.

She's been called the most successful animal painter

by Art newspaper.

Tillie has shown her work at more than 40 exhibitions.

She has an exhibit this evening...

Today, Bowman's drumming up business

for her Dog Bless America premiere.

How you doing? Tillie's got an opening tonight.

-Fantastic.

-It's in Manhattan.

-Excellent.

Hey.

-We're having a little exhibition this evening...

-Really?

..if you want to stop by.

It's on 42nd Street, and it's seven to nine tonight.

-Can I bring everybody I know?

-Please do.

Tillie has been exhibiting her abstract art for nearly ten years.

But what's the secret behind her success?

Originally bred to hunt foxes, Jack Russells never give up,

and Tillie's natural instinct to dig

has been fine-tuned to create her artwork.

BARKS

Tillie is really the artist here.

She's the one that's making all the marks.

I'm basically her assistant. I set up the materials for her.

So, this is the colour transfer paper that we use.

It works like carbon paper.

Any mark that's made on this side

will transfer onto the surface below.

Now I'm gonna fully tape down this transfer paper to the mat.

You'll see that Tillie is really attracted to the tape.

You'll know a piece is completed

when it's on the verge of being destroyed.

I basically have to hold her back with one hand

and take the piece away with the other -

she doesn't want to stop when she's working.

# Take me on a trip

# I'd like to go some day... #

Ow, that one hurt, Tillie!

# I'd love to see LA... #

SHE BARKS

# I really want to

# come kick it with you

# You'll be my American Boy. #

Tillie, what do you think?

SHE GRUNTS

The art scene is a dog-eat-dog world,

and tonight's exhibition is no exception.

How many Tillie's do you own?

We have a few, but my favourite is Blue Spaghetti.

Tillie is unable to deceive her audience,

which is what sets her apart from other artists.

Tillie says heavy America,

gentle America,

and then starts biting it.

SHE BARKS

Yeah, that one sold.

-How much did it sell for?

-100. Yeah.

Tillie's giving a rare public demonstration

of her unique creative style.

She's running the show.

And for anyone who doubts Tillie's talents...well...

seeing is believing.

SHE BARKS

LAUGHTER

She's only interested in interpreting the world as she finds it,

which makes her very primal

and a significant artist for this moment in time.

OK, OK, OK.

OK. OK.

Good. Good.

Good. Good.

CHEERING

SHE BARKS

The exhibition is a huge success,

and Tillie's scratched together hundreds of pounds in sale.

We've been surfing the net

to find out what your pets get up to on their days off.

This is Slobber the boxer,

from Wiltshire, in England.

During the working week, he's your average stay-at-home pet.

But don't let this angel face fool you.

On the weekend, this boxer's a hairy biker.

# Get your motor runnin'

# Head out on the highway

# Lookin' for adventure

# And whatever comes our way

# Like a true nature's child

# We were born

# Born to be wild

# We can climb so high

# I never wanna die... #

For Slobber, it's a perfect end to another biker weekend.

Time for racing pigs in Warwickshire, England.

Tomorrow, this top team of pigs will race at the Royal Norfolk Show.

For their star runner, Marigold,

it's the final race of her dazzling sporting career.

These pigs are trained for racing.

They only race against themselves

and they go down a straight course with little jumps in them.

It is Marigold's last race, and I am, actually, a bit sad.

Today, Marigold's manager, Rebecca,

wants to squeeze in one last fitness session before the big day.

PIGS SNORT

It's really important that the pigs are fit for this,

so we've been building up a training program for them -

while doing the training, we're increasing the height of the jumps.

Pigs can jump up to 80 centimetres high.

I'm not saying that these pigs can or will.

PIGS SNORT

They can do.

HE OINKS

But their real motivation to run?

A nice big bucket of food at the winning post.

Despite the fact that they've got quite short legs,

they are actually very speedy

and they can do a 50-metre track in about 30 seconds,

which is amazing, really, when you look at them.

Great thing about pigs is how intelligent they are.

I think they're more intelligent than dogs, myself.

They're very easy to train,

because they, very quickly, learn what you want -

then they'll do it again and again,

as long as they get their reward, which is food.

Hey, stop fighting. There you go.

It's fun to race them,

cos you never ever know what's gonna happen next.

What I do like is...racing... racing behind the pigs.

Go on, pigs! Go on!

It's a big race tomorrow,

but what do the pit team think of Marigold's chances?

I don't know if Marigold's gonna win, but I hope...I hope she does.

So, Marigold's not a safe bet yet.

She's got to work on speed and agility to get over those hurdles.

These are the jumps we use in the real race.

We put them in the practice,

so the pigs know what they've got to do when it comes to the real things.

# I predict a riot

# I predict a riot... #

Not only are these practice runs crucial

to get Marigold in peak physical condition,

they also give her the opportunity to sniff out the competition.

Look at that!

Marigold, you're pipped to the post by Francis Bacon.

Oh, dear. Marigold's lead was snatched away too easily.

The dash for top trotter is on.

Marigold was third, unfortunately,

so I think she needs a bit of encouragement, myself.

She got pipped to the post by Red Ham and Francis Bacon. Never mind.

This is only a practice. It's the real thing that counts.

Good, old-fashioned, mad pig racing.

Tomorrow is the big race,

but will Marigold end her career on a high?

On today's poor performance,

it's shaping up to be a right old pig's ear.

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

Some animals at work are furry, feathery and cute,

but get ready to come face-to-face with one

that's big enough to send shivers down your spine.

I'm not afraid of slithering creatures,

but some people are terrified,

and our next animal helps cure that phobia.

Hi, mate. He's got a big tongue.

Our stop now is at the Paradise Wildlife Park,

in Hertfordshire, England.

And it's here that one large lady is facing her first day on the job,

curing people from being scared of snakes.

She's a snake therapist.

Big Girl's boss, Steve, thinks she's perfect for the position.

This is Big Girl, and she's an absolutely beautiful Burmese python.

I named her Big Girl,

because it seemed to suit her character

and her personality, really.

# Big girls, you are beautiful... #

She's too shy. She's confident.

You wouldn't want to annoy her, obviously, she's a large snake.

# Big girls, you are beautiful. #

Big Girl has a ssss-sensitive healing job ahead.

When she first arrived at the park,

she was in need of a bit of therapy herself.

Big Girl's one of our rescue snakes.

When she first arrived, she was very nervous. I'd approach her -

she'd open her mouth, hiss at me, show a lot of aggression.

On one occasion, she did actually bite me.

They've got about 120, quite sharp, teeth, and she did draw blood.

She actually probably weighs, at the moment,

about seven stone - just under that.

A wild Burmese python could eat something the size of a small deer.

She'd need to have a lot of strength to actually hold onto it,

to squeeze it until she could eat it -

there's a lot of muscle tone.

Big Girl's important, because she's helping people understand

that snakes aren't horrible or disgusting animals.

They're quite amazing.

Big Girl has been transformed through her own therapy,

and is now a gentle giant, ready to help others.

But will she be able to soothe today's seriously stressed patients?

Today's a very big day for Big Girl,

and for me too,

because she's gonna try her first trial at being a snake therapist,

and there's a group of young girls, from a nearby school,

who are terrified of snakes.

And they are...

Georgie, Bronwyn, Kate,

Lily and Lucy.

THEY GIGGLE

So, I'm hoping Big Girl's gonna stay like she is now,

nice and calm and relaxed,

and, hopefully, cure them of their phobia.

I think she's the perfect snake for the job, to be honest,

because of her great temperament,

and she's striking in pattern, and beautiful.

Are you scared?

I'd hate to stroke it, because...

..it would feel like it'll kill me.

I bet when we see it, we'll be like,

"Big Girl" is an understatement. Huge Girl!

DRAMATIC MUSIC

Hi, girls. You all right?

ALL SCREAM AND GIGGLE

Hysteria sets in!

But Big Girl takes it all in her stride.

GIRLS WHIMPER

Luckily, Big Girl's deaf, so she can't hear you screaming.

She's flicking her tongue out to taste the air,

cos she can't see well. Her eyes only see a bit of movement.

So, what she's doing - she's tasting you right now.

-She's a constrictive snake. Do you know what that means?

-No.

-She'll wrap you up and strangle you.

-Sort of.

When she finds dinner in the wild -

she might have a nice Asian deer -

she'll bite and constrict it -

she'll only do that because she knows she can eat it.

So, she's gonna eat us?

She's not gonna eat you at all. No, no. You're far too big to eat.

A lot of the time, snakes are more scared of people,

than people are of them, to be honest.

Well, that's easy for Steve to say.

Burmese pythons are amongst the largest snakes on earth,

and can reach a whopping 23 feet -

that's about one-and-a-half family cars.

And they weigh in at 200 pounds -

about the same as a Saint Bernard dog.

Lily is the first to approach the gentle giant.

Gently. Can you feel how smooth she is?

THEY GIGGLE

And the other girls aren't far behind.

That's it, stroke down.

You can put your whole hand on if you want, and just stroke.

-You can feel the muscles inside. You can feel how strong she is.

-Yup.

Just because she's so big,

it's really scary just touching her, cos she's just so big.

-She's not gonna hurt you.

-No.

-She's just a big gentle giant if you think about it.

-Yeah. Yeah.

After just one hour with Big Girl,

Georgia, Bronwyn, Kate, Lily and Lucy

have overcome their fear of snakes.

But do they feel confident enough to hold her?

So, are you girls ready to help me hold her now?

OMINOUS HISSING

ALL: Yeah, we will.

Do you think Big Girl's doing well?

You think she's good at her job,

helping people get over their fear of snakes?

It was brilliant. I just really want to take it home.

Yeah, I love it! I just...

I'm not scared of snakes any more -

she's helped me realise they're not scary.

-Good. She's done her job well?

-Yeah.

Looks like Big Girl's hit the jackpot in her new career.

She's a natural.

We've been looking out for your home videos

of what animals get up to in their spare time,

and we loved this one

of some incredible tree-climbing goats in Morocco.

How many goats can you get up a tree?

# Help me get down

# I can make it

# Help me get down

# Help me get down

# I can make it

# Help me get down

# If I only knew the answer

# And if all our days are numbered

# Then, why do I keep counting? #

Wow! So 13 goats down, and three more still hanging in there.

That's fa-a-a-abbbb!

Now we're heading to Pennsylvania, in America.

This is Duncan, the border collie.

He's going through a major career change.

Duncan and his trainer, Jan, are an award-winning team.

Duncan has won tons of trophies in obedience competitions.

But an accident during training changed everything.

When he went down, and he didn't get back up again...

Duncan had a blood clot in his spinal cord,

and his nerves were damaged, meaning his legs were paralysed.

It was a long struggle...

because we basically had to teach him how to walk again.

He really tried, and he really worked his little heart out for us

when it came to doing physical therapy,

and the work that we had to do with him.

He was real determined,

and he would do anything in the world to please me.

Duncan was a born performer,

and Jan needed to find something to get him back on his feet.

Now, he's a dancer.

Duncan loves music, and has from the time he was little.

We do show tunes, we do things like...

the very first song we ever performed to

was the overture from Phantom Of The Opera.

Let's go. Come on, weave. Good boy.

Weave. Good.

That's the foot I want.

His feet have two different names to them. This is Kick.

This is Kick...

SHE LAUGHS

and this is Foot.

Once he learned that,

then I was able to just transfer him to different parts of my body.

He'll do it from my knees. Duncan, kick. Kick.

Foot. Good.

It's to my left, and it's haw for him. Duncan haw.

Haw, haw,

haw...good.

Now, the gee came a lot harder,

because it's going into the nerve damage leg.

Gee, gee,

gee, gee, gee...

And if you watch him, he'll bunny hop, kinda,

he kind of, hops his back end, rather than trying to do it across his feet.

Today, Duncan's being primped up for a dance display

in front of a crowd of thousands.

That's a pitiful face... if I ever saw one.

Pittsburgh's Highland Games have been around for almost 50 years,

and it's the event of the season.

Our first routine today,

is going to be a solo by Jan Myer of Greenford, and her dog Duncan.

You just can't take the competitive spirit out of this dog.

When you go on the floor, it's just you and the dog...

and it's made our bond a lot tighter.

APPLAUSE

With lots of trophies under his belt,

Duncan's going to be as successful at dance,

as he was as an obedience dog.

Now it's back to England, and Marigold's big race.

This is the Royal Norfolk Show.

For Marigold, the track star,

it's the final race day of her glittering career.

-Daisy, are you gonna help me get the pigs out?

-Yeah.

All right, piggies.

Oooh, piggy, piggy, piggies.

I think the pigs, they're quite excited,

because whenever they go to a show, they just...like it, basically.

The pigs, of course... their last show.

Marigold...

she's...gunning for winning, of course, as ever.

THEY OINK

Maybe she won't win, I don't know.

Marigold's bid to add another win to her name is under threat.

Rivals Red Ham and Francis Bacon will run,

and they thrashed her in the practice session yesterday.

She's filthy!

While Marigold gets ready for her big moment,

a royal visitor wanders through the showground.

Will this mean even more pressure on our would-be piggy racing champion?

Look at Marigold.

She's taking that pre-race nap that every good pig needs.

She obviously knows what's best - a bit of a rest is the best thing

if you're gonna be the winner.

SNORING

Basically, if they don't eat, right, before a race,

it means they're faster, and they're more energetic to get food.

They are greedy.

That's the only thing about them that's, like, all the same.

They're very greedy.

It's almost race time,

but Marigold is still snoring away.

Will she get her act together in time to hog the limelight?

The championship is three races,

and Marigold needs to win two of them to claim pole piggy position.

Three, two, one.

And they're off!

Marigold's taking the outside lane!

She's easily clearing those fences!

Marigold's ahead by half a snout!

Marigold!

Marigold has won her first race.

But she's got to win at least one more,

if she's to retire as the undefeated champion.

Three, two, one, go!

And they're off!

Red Ham's first out of the stalls. Marigold's putting in a late burst.

No!

Marigold loses to Red Ham.

Red Ham!

CHEERING AND WHISTLING

Marigold has got to win the third and last race,

if she's to trot off home with the championship.

Everyone enjoys pig racing because, you know, it's new, it's unique,

and you never ever know what's gonna happen next.

Three, two...

Everything to play for in the last race -

Marigold is leading the pack.

Great jumping from Marigold puts her two lengths ahead.

She is...

the winner!

Go-o-o-o-old!

Three cheers for Marigold!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

I'm really happy.

Marigold takes home the gold,

and can settle into her retirement knowing that, in pig racing,

she's a legend.

I've found myself a friend to try out some of my new material.

I've got some crackling good jokes for ya.

-HE SNIGGERS

-Crackling good jokes.

All right, what do you call a pig that knows how to do karate?

A pork chop!

HE LAUGHS

PIG SQUEALS

What do you mean that was insensitive?

Here, what about this one?

-What do you call a pig after you push him down a hill?

-PIG GRUNTS

A bacon roll!

BOOING

A bacon roll.

COCKEREL CALLS

She liked that one.

HE LAUGHS

It was good - really, really good.

Cock-a-doodle-do to you too, Mister.

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