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The Tamworth Breeders’ Club Winter 2009/10 Volume 4, Issue 3 TamworthTamworth Bumper Tamworths - issue!! The future’s orange! TrumpetTrumpet Tamworth Sculpture ick Bibby is based in Devon and is a world renowned animal sculptor. Having done cattle and N sheep, including a famous White Park, he approached Cranbourne Estate to come and pho- Inside this issue: tograph a champion Tamworth. He also approached Julian Collings for a British Lop and Sue Fieldes for a Berkshire. He then produced the sculpture from the pictures he took. The boar was Tamworth Sculpture 1 champion Young Pig of the Year at Hatfield in 2006 for the Marquess of Salisbury. Tamworth Trifles 2 Chairman’s Message 3 Rocking All Over 4-5 Everything Bar Squeal 6-7 Tamworth Festival 8-9 The Peel Family 10-11 AGM 2009 12 Crossbred’s Best 13 Reflections on a Pig 14-15 Toller Lucky Lass 26 16 Scottish Push 17-19 Further information on the sculpture, including how to order, can be found at www.nickbibby.co.uk. 1st Champ of Champs 19 The pig bronzes will form part of an exhibition ‘Champion Animals’ to be held at Sladmore Contem- porary Gallery, 32 Bruton Place, off Berkeley Square, London W1 between March 25th and April 16th. Memories of Royal 11, Phone 020 7499 0365 for further details. Show 15 & 20 Tamworth Trumpet Help spread the word—recruit a new member at every opportunity. Crane Glen 3 winning Young Pig of the Year at Hatfield (right), and as a mature boar (above) as sculpted by Nick Bibby Pa ge 2 Tamworth Trumpet Volume 4, Issue 3 Tamworth Trifles by Dreamboy t was good to see the Tamworth breed well represented at the I BPA's 125th anniversary dinner. As we were one of the original breeds which founded the old NPBA in 1884, it was very apt that there were several distinguished Tamworth breeders awarded long service certificates. Our President, Caroline Wheatley-Hubbard, received her award on behalf of the Boyton pigs which had been recording pedigrees since 1925. Geoff Wilson from Yorkshire was awarded a certificate for starting the Rufforth herd more than 50 years ago. Geoff has kindly agreed to write an article for a future Trumpet outlining highlights of the Rufforth herd history - he must be perhaps the only exhibitor in the country to have won the Royal Show 5 times or more!! The Kiddy family received an accolade having started in pedi- gree pigs back in 1946 and have added Tamworths to their list of breeds rather more recently. Both Tamworth stalwarts, Eric Brown and Kathleen Pile, started their herds in 1984 and are still out in the rings showing regularly. Viki Mills has only just given up her last Tamworth pig having started her pedigree herd back in 1977 down in Devon. For the past 30 years she and her family have been part of the furniture around the show rings of Great Britain and I doubt there is a pig show in the country which she has not visited either showing or judging at some time since then. It is good to see so many younger people associated with Tamworth pigs becoming involved in the newly established young people's section of the BPA which has been so enthusiastically set up by a distinguished group of pig breeders, including the Bretherton family. Take Sarah Kiddy, apart from all her appearances in show rings around the country showing Rufforth Dream Boy was breed champion at the RASE in 1955 not only the family pigs but also Shuttleworth College, she has been very for the Wilson family. prominent in young pig handler classes around the place. She was a star at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, USA helping to promote British pig keeping and pork. At the English Winter Fair she again shone both in helping show the family pigs and in the many demonstra- tions she got involved with. Her brother, Nick, has also had a great year promoting pigs in many shows. He has now been elected Vice Chairman of the BPA Show Committee and it is great to see a younger person becoming more involved in the organisation. The redoubtable James Sage has also had a memorable year. He was also very prominent at Expo (especially, I am told, enjoying the visual pleasures of the hotel swimming pool). Along with the Beck brothers from Wales and 2 young rascal helpers from the Chair- man's Shutevale herd James had a very memorable and enjoyable eve- ning at the BPA dance following the presentations at Lutterworth. It must be a record as he has been with his current girlfriend, Adele, for more than 6 months!! I wonder if we will be able to persuade him to start breeding Tamworths alongside his Saddlebacks in addition to be- ing a member of the Tamworth Club? I hear the Sage coat of arms is one boar rampant fessed with two reclining gilts!! It was great to see Claire Gibson from Billquay out on the apprentice judging scheme (as put forward by the Tamworth breed reps). She did a sterling job proving that she will make an excellent full blown judge in the near future. Always looking very glamorous, I did wonder whether some of the many young gentlemen watching the judging were looking at her rather more often than the pigs!! (Claire has written an article elsewhere in the Trumpet). Finally, our young Welsh Tamworth supporter, Steph from Greenmeadow Community Farm has also had a very exciting year showing many pigs Tamworths on display—part of Carolyn’s organisation was to produce and very ably assisting with the show and sale at Ross on Wye. these well-stocked display units. Tamworth Trumpet Volume 4, Issue 3 Pa ge 3 Message from your Chairman by Nick Hunkin hat extremes of weather we have all experi- enced in the UK recently. 2009 W started with a prolonged cold spell in January and February and the summer turned out to be a mixture of heavy rain with the occasional spell of extremely humid heatwaves. Luckily we had one of these in time to ensure a relatively successful har- vest. The year ended on another cold spell and as I write early in 2010 we are in the middle of the coldest spell for 30 years. Luckily for us all, we are associated with one of the most climatically resilient of all pig breeds worldwide. The Tamworth positively thrives in temperatures as low as -48 degrees in Canada and elsewhere but is also very sun and heat resistant and enjoys as much the dust bowls of Australia with equal enthusiasm. By the time the showing season is underway later in the year, we shall have experienced yet another General Election. Let's hope whoever achieves power will invest seriously in our once buoyant British agriculture which does seem to have been seriously ne- glected in recent years. With our superb grass producing climate it seems strange that imports of food especially milk are on the in- crease when we have such expertise around the country to produce the goods ourselves. 2009 was another fabulous year for the breed with increasing favourable comments from breeders of other pig types and interbreed judges as to how much we are improving as a breed. I believe we have some tremen- dously talented breeders on board the Tamworth rollercoaster at the moment and the result of all those genetic selections and pedigree expertise is there for all to see at the “I believe we have major shows around the country. I feel it is important to encourage all this talent to ex- press itself and therefore be good for the development of the breed as a whole. I was some tremendously therefore very pleased to hear that Bill Howes wanted a spell of representing the breed at the BPA and has now subsequently been elected to take the helm with Caroline for the talented breeders on next 3 years. I am sure Bill will bring a wealth of pig keeping experience to the role and board the Tamworth will do a fantastic job promoting the breed at the BPA. rollercoaster “ Unfortunately as I write the economic downturn of the last 2 years is still with us, al- though things seem to be slowly improving. All breeds of pig have lost a number of breeders in the last 2 years and let's hope 2010 brings more hopeful news on the financial front. To me one of the highlights of the year was the Tamworth Festival so ably organised by Carolyn and her stalwarts. It would be nice to think that one day we could have a repeat performance but as with all things connected with local politics, it very much depends what is discussed in the Council chamber. Finally, I do hope you all have a great New Year and that you continue to enjoy your association with the Tamworth breed. NICK Tamworth Points Cup Here are the results of the 2009 Tamworth Points Cup: 1st Shutevale Princess 792 Nick Hunkin 82pts 2nd Stoneymoor Jacqueline 28 Bill Howes 73 3rd Tudful Yorkshireman 18 Liz Shankland 50 4th Raisinhall Melody 7 Stuart Roberts and Jodie Fairclough 28 This is awarded to the individual animal that wins most prizes at shows throughout the season. July and January pigs often have an advantage as they usually stay the course all season. It is good to see Liz Shankland and Roberts and Fairclough climbing Memories from the Tamworth Festival (with some summer showers). the ladder so rapidly - Hunkin and Howes beware !!! More photos inside.