Finnington Pedigree Breeds
Show Season - 2009
2009 was the first show season for the new Finnington herd.
Things got off to a flying start at our first show – Newark and Notts.
Little Punky (Finnington Super) the Large Black boar won his class of around 6 mixed breed boars. Our Middle White boar (Finnington Rajah) came a respectable 3rd in the same class. Sky (Finnington Skylark) won the LB July gilt class beating stiff competition from some good breeders and went on to win Large Black breed champion, with Little Punky coming reserve. On the second day, Rajah qualified for Pig of the Year Competition, and won the heat, beating the Supreme and Reserve Supreme Champion pigs of the show!
Our next show was Bath & West. Steve was judging the Large Blacks so we just took Rajah and his two sisters Finnington Fair Lady 6 & 7 (Tullulah and Lucinda – blame Grace Bretherton for naming them both!). Rajah won Breed Champion with Lucinda getting Reserve Female Champion. Lucinda went on to qualify for Pig of the Year, and like her brother, won the heat.
At Cheshire we were on home territory. Little Punky got Breed Champion, and qualified for Pig of the Year (that was 3 in total – it’s quite an achievement to get 1). Finnington Queen won Reserve Breed Champion. Rajah and Lucinda won the Special Pairs competition on the first day (and won a drinks hamper for the Middle White breed) and did it again on the second day in the Mixed Pairs – no booze this time, just a trophy.
Little Punky and Rajah went to the Royal. We couldn’t – or wouldn’t – go for the full time but we were persuaded that, as it was the last one, we should send something and a friend had room for 2 on her trailer. Little Punky won the senior boar class, and Rajah came 3rd in quite a strong class.
We had a strong team out at Great Yorkshire Show, with 3 qualified for POY. Rajah won his class and came Reserve Male Champion. In the POY final he was pulled out into the last 7 boars so he did very well.
Hatfield was our last show of the year, it is the venue for the Large Black Pig Breeders Club and the Middle White Pig Breeders Club Champion of Champions Competitions. The 3 Middle Whites and 2 of the Large Blacks had qualified during the season were there. The first day didn’t go as well as we would have hoped, but things changed for the CofCs on day 2. We had a sow and gilt in the LB final. To our delight, the sow Kenworthy Blackie 6 won this years competition. Immediately after was the Middle White final. Grace Bretherton had agreed to show Tullulah in the final as we were short of handlers and she has been showing her during the year at various times. To our utter astonishment, Grace and Tullulah won the Middle White competition.
It was a special end to a special show season, being the first for the amalgamated herds, we are now looking forward to what next year will bring…
