The Rare Breed Show at the Open Air Museum at Singleton was bathed in glorious sunshine this year, a contrast to the very wet previous year. Hazel our July Gilt won her class and went on to become reserve traditional breed champion. Our September and January Gilts also did well, both coming 2nd in their respective classes. The win was just to much for Hazel who had to have a lie down – in the show ring.
Hazel has a lie down after winning Reserve Champion
Oaklands Pigs were in great form at the Surrey County show on the May Bank Holiday Monday, with our saddleback sow Hilda winning Best in Show. We also scooped 1st and 2nd in the July gilt class, with Hazel a saddleback gilt taking 1st and competing alongside Hilda for Best in Show. Then Chestnut an Oxford Sandy Gilt taking the 2nd spot making her the best Oxford at the show. Not to be out done by her mother, Hilda’s daughter Hyacinth born in January this year came 2nd in her class. And the whole day was rounded off by Amy, our 5 year old saddleback sow winning the Veteran class.
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We attended 6 shows in the 2011 show season and won Best of Breed for the Saddlebacks at 5 of those shows and have won Reserve Best in Show at 2 of them.
The Five Best of Breeds have also been from 4 different pigs, with Amy our 4 year old sow winning at Heathfield and then again at Surrey County. This was followed by Hilary, our September Gilt taking the spot at the Singleton Rare breed show (beating Amy that time), and on 7th Aug our 3 year sow Miranda (pictured above) took Best of Breed at the Cranleigh show. The last show was at Edenbridge where our two and a half year old sow Joyce took the Best Saddleback slot. We were also pleased that at manyof the shows it was different age saddlebacks from Oaklands Pigs that were competing for the Best of Breed title.
The Two Reserve Best in Shows were won by Amy at the Heathfield show (pictured below) and Miranda at the Cranleigh show.
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Although its the Saddlebacks that are our primary focus on the show circuit, we were also delighted that our January Tamworth Gilt Tabitha won a class of 8 entries at the Singleton Show. Mind you, you have to be fit to keep up with a young Tamworth in the ring !
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