Our success in winning the supreme champion pig with Coal Yeat Peterbilt, our senior stock Hampshire boar, was partly due to having two vet students on a placement to prepare and help show the 20 pigs taken to the show.
“As a vet student, although we’ve been taught about pigs, I definitely feel I’ve learnt more in the past two weeks with John than two years at university! Preparing the pigs for the show involved a lot of washing, hard work and pig training (although I think the pigs trained me as well) but seeing the final result on show day was worth it. It was also rewarding to see the progression with the young Hampshire pigs born at the end of February, from unruly hooligans that you couldn’t get within a few feet of, to winning a third place rosette at the Royal Cheshire Show! It made all the days of endless preparation, talking to the pigs and training worth it and being able to show them myself was scary but ultimately proud of what they and us had achieved. From previously being a outsider to this world, the past two weeks have truly been an eye opener to the time and dedication put in by all to achieving such high standards and I have a new found respect for all those involved. I can’t thank John, his family and the pigs enough for teaching me so much!” Jess Vet Student
The Coal Yeat Saddlebacks did really well taking the reserve breed champion with our January Gilt Coal Yeat Rosette,and several qualifiers for Pig of the Year and Young Pig of the Year. The pair of July Saddleback gilts almost won the interbreed pairs, coming a very close second to a perfectly matched pair of Large White pigs.
In the young handler classes all my grandchildren present did me proud. Stanley (aged 3) was again a star, winning his class. Peggy (aged 5) and Doris (aged 7), came away with first and second on their first foray into the show ring with Saddlebacks. Not to be outdone, Imogen, a old hand in the show ring, showing the Saddleback sow Coat Yeat Rosette was eventually awarded the Champion Young Handler trophy! Thanks once again to Mr and Mrs Mulkeen for their generous sponsorship at the Royal Cheshire Show for the young handlers class.
We couldn’t have got all the twenty pigs to the show without the help of Carole and Mark driving some of the pigs to the show and helping with the exhibiting.
We returned home via the traffic jam leaving the show field elated but exhausted! We now look forward to the next show – the Great Yorkshire Show from the 12th-14th July.
