EXOTIC CREATURES ON THE RUN; ANIMALS RACE FOR TREATS AT FAIR.

Byline: Romy Jacobson Special to the Daily News

Some fairs have horse races, but the Antelope Valley Fair has pig races. And duck races. And goat races. And emu races.

Potbellied pigs, Indian runner ducks, Cameroon pygmy goats and emus - the national bird of Australia - will be racing daily at the Hammin' It Up Downs race track near the children's area.

The animals are from Sklar Farms Living Treasures of Gatlinburg, Tenn., which also operates the fair petting zoo featuring unusual animals such as a Tennessee fainting goat, a Scottish black-face sheep and Sevastopol geese.

Mary Ann Sklar, founder of Sklar Farms, says she is the first and only person to race emus, which are flightless birds that can run up to 40 mph.

Sklar started out with a petting zoo about 30 years ago and now travels around the country to fairs, festivals and different charity functions with her exotic collection of animals and reptiles.

All of the animals were raised together and get along, she said. The goats and pigs were bottle-fed as babies and allowed inside her house. The goats were housebroken, she said.

``To watch our animals interact is a show in itself,'' Sklar said.

Sklar said she began racing potbellied pigs at other events 10 years ago, and over the years she started racing ducks as well as pygmy goats. She started racing emus about three years ago.

The animals have not been trained to race but are rewarded at the end of the race with treats, she said. The pigs get cookies, the emus get their regular feed, the ducks like corn, and the goats like bread.

Cheerleaders will be selected from the audience at the beginning of each race, given a pompon and assigned a specific animal to root for. The cheerleader whose animal wins the race will receive a certificate and a coupon for food to feed to the animals in the petting zoo.

Fun and games at A.V. Fair

The Antelope Valley Fair continues through Sept. 1. Here is information for today.

HOURS: 4 p.m. to midnight.

EVENTS: Les Brown and his Band of Renown, 6 p.m. Pokey and the Red-Eye Ranch Band, 8 p.m.

CONTESTS: Alfalfa maze, 5:30 p.m. Salsa contest, 6:30 p.m. Talent search, 9 p.m.

CONTINUING: Carnival rides; farm animals; flower exhibits; handicraft displays; photo exhibit; pig, duck, emu and goat races; petting zoo.

WHERE: Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, 155 E. Ave. I.

ADMISSION: General admission, $5; seniors 55 and over and children age 6 to 15, $3; children under 6 admitted free.

PARKING: $2.

INFORMATION: Call [phone].

SOURCE: Antelope Valley Fair

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Box

Photo: (1-2--color in AV edition only) Mary Ann Sklar's collection of animals includes Hambone, a 6-month-old swine, left, and several flightless emus, above, Australia's national bird.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News

Box: Fun and games at A.V. Fair (see text)