Breeders Meeting for Berkshire and British Saddleback Breeders. Tuesday 9th August 7.00pm

The meeting on the 9th August will be an opportunity to meet the candidates for election as Breed Representatives for the Berkshire and British Saddlebacks. It will be an opportunity for those standing to say a bit about themselves and for members to ask any questions of them.

Once the meeting has finished the vote will be open.

As well as introducing your candidates for Breed Representative we will also be looking at the new BPA online herdbook and pedigree services and answering your questions about the new system 

To register for this meeting use this link. Breeders Meeting for Berkshire and Saddleback

The candidates for Berkshire Breed Representative are: Chris Hudson, Chris Impey and Caroline Williams

The candidate for the British Saddleback Breed Representative is: Irving Carter and Sharon Groves

Breed Representative Candidates for Berkshire

Chris Hudson

I first became involved with pigs when I as 10 years old, helping the local farmer, when I left school, I started work full time on a pig farm. In the early 1980s I purchased my own pig farm and built up a commercial herd of 150 pedigree Large White X pedigree Landrace/Welsh sows.  Changes to pig farming practices a few years later, proved to be difficult/expensive to implement on my farm, so reluctantly the herd was sold.

In 2007 I had the opportunity to move back into pigs as a hobby, rather than a business, and help with the conservation and promotion of traditional/rare breed pigs, after considerable research, I identified the Berkshire pig as being the idea pig for us.

And So started my passion for the promotion, conservation, and development of the Berkshire breed. Interaction with fellow Berkshire breeders and encouraging those new to keeping Berkshire is a key element for me, as this helps to increase overall Berkshire numbers, identify bloodlines which may be at risk and increase the number of Berkshire breeders.

I feel that communication between Berkshires breeders, the breed representatives, and the BPA, is vital to the continuing success of the Berkshire breed, in developing the skills and knowledge of breeders, and the promotion of Berkshire pork. I will encourage, guide and support new breeders, answering any questions they may have, signposting them to additional information and breeders in their area who may be able to offer support.

Since being elected chair of the Berkshire pig Breeders Club, the club has moved forward and introduced new initiatives, this includes increased communication with members, information sharing and involving all member in club/breed initiatives, which has led to a doubling of member numbers.

I am a familiar face on the show circuit, taking time to chat with breeders and promote Berkshire pigs.

As breed representative I will continue to help establish Berkshire herds in the north of England and Scotland.

By regularly checking the breed survey, birth notification and registrations, I will be able to identify which bloodlines need support both nationally and locally. This will help to ensure bloodlines are also distributed around the country, to ensure bloodlines are not lost, if there is an outbreak of disease.

The breed representative is the key link between breeders and the BPA, they should be visible, approachable, supportive and have the Berkshire breed and breeders at the centre of all they do.

As the Berkshire breed representative I will continue to seek the views and ideas of breeders, feeding this information back to the BPA during meetings, however this is a two way street, and I will ensure that information from the BPA is shared with breeders.

Chris Impey

My name is Chris Impey, I am one of the current Berkshire breed reps and have done it for a number of years. I am currently the Chairman of the Conservation committee and Chairman of the BPA.

I have kept Berkshire pigs since 1990 when I managed a herd of commercial pigs and a pedigree herd of 24 Berkshire Sows’.  Having worked on a prison farm for 10 years I then created my own herd and named it the Fairoaks her of Berkshire pigs in 2000.

Over the years I have conducted many exports both into Europe and across the rest of the world, I have supplied pigs to Deerpark for AI and have won the BPA pig of the year in 2008 and the BPA pedigree pig breeder of the year in 2019. I have shown pigs for 32 years and am extremely proud of both mine and my family’s achievements with our pigs.

I am involved with the Berkshire pig breeders club and have been the vice chairman for a number of years and have supported those in the club where best I can. I am passionate about helping both new and existing members and have been instrumental along with others in setting up the successful social media accounts which has led us to increase membership over the couple of years and establishing WhatsApp groups to encourage members to support each other.

As current Chairman of the BPA I have led the organisation with my team of fellow breeders to reorganise and review our operating standards and constitution and to set priorities that have led to a fresh and re-invigorated way of working to allow greater flexibility in the organisation to allow us to remain focussed and supportive to members to ensure the future of our breeds are protected for many years to come. 

I believe I have always been open and transparent where I could and supportive to all where possible.  I believe our pigs have to be at the centre of all we do and I have promoted the Berkshires where I can and encouraged new ways of thinking to allow our breed to flourish in what over the years have been difficult at times, we are currently experiencing one of the most difficult down turns in the pig industry and I have encouraged people to buy Berkshire pigs, to establish new markets and to be proud of the product we are producing to protect and preserve our pigs.

I have always maintained we are the current guardians of our breed and that we must ensure we preserve the type and to be focussed on ensuring the Berkshire looks like a Berkshire whilst improving size and scale where possible and to ensure the Berkshires retain their inherent classic traits. I will always try to put the pigs first and will listen to others’ opinions. By working together, we can preserve and promote our wonderful breed to give it a long, healthy and continued future.

Caroline Williams

I would like to put myself forward for a Berkshire breed rep, after having an interest in the breed for many years and having 8 of the 9 sow lines in my herd. An interest in using different boars with each sow, looking at depth and leigh, and body shape. 

Have a passion for the Berkshire breed, going to shows meeting new people coming into the breed and giving them support for the way forward. 

Looking at the sow line and the different shape of sows from you traditional sows to your more commercial looking Berkshire. 

I'm enjoying being a new committee member for the Berkshire breeders club and having the show secretory post and learning new things as I go along.

It's also nice to see the breeders club coming along and having a what's app group to share our highs and lows with and supporting each other.

I have very recently met some new breeders to the Berkshire down here in the south-west, that have also taken a interest to do some showing as well as just Beeding Berkshire, and I have been asked to help them fine some boars for their sows. Which I still would be willing to do if I didn't become a breed rep. I believe in helping people coming into this breed, like I did when I first made the jump into breeding Berkshires. 

I have also recently taken on some Berkshire from breeders give up in the pandemic or had to give Berkshire up because of health issues and have tried to find some new homes or just had them in my own herd.

 

Breed Representative candidate for British Saddlebacks

Irving Carter

I am Irving Carter, and I am applying to become a breed rep for the British Saddleback breed.

I have been a breed rep for the last seven years, the last four years as the only breed rep for my breed. I have a huge respect and passion for the Saddleback breed, and understand the importance of preserving its’ integrity, and the input that each bloodline brings to making it what it is. Pedigree pigs in general, I also have a regard for.

I have never considered myself the best person to do the job, my interpersonal skills are not good, but I am totally committed to the breed, and have always tried to do what I can to help. I have to consider this would be my last term, as age is catching up with me. I would like to think I can offer some guidance and experience to a fresh team, and help push the breed and the BPA forward with their exciting new constitution, if I can.

If I am not accepted I am still happy to help if needed, my mantra has always been for the pigs, and British Saddlebacks in particular.

Sharon Groves

My name is Sharon Groves and with my Husband, David we run the Watchingwell Herd of British Saddleback pigs on the Isle of Wight.

We started our foray into the world of Saddlebacks back in 2007 with a couple of gilts and registered our first one the following year which was an Octavia.

We then rapidly got into breeding quality pigs well up to breed standard to protect the integrity of the lines and hopefully improve some that were not so good in some ways,_ be it feet, legs, shape, length, depth, bone and lineage in some cases.

With careful selection we have bred some very good boars of various lines that we have sold to various other great breeders to spread the lines around the country, I am very passionate that the lines don't just need to be in one area but they must still be as correct as possible. Keeping them in one area could be very dangerous if there was a disease outbreak. This does also apply to all the female lines, and I have also sold various lines up and down the country.

An example of saving and improving a line has been the Dominator line, I was searching for a different boar line and noticed they were very depleted, I spoke to our Breed Rep, Irving Carter and he said that Neil Giles had some weaners, I duly collected some and dropped off to Irving and later had another one for myself, that didn't work out as it had lots of problems but using one that Irving had we have since bred some really good quality boars, that again have been sold around the country, good bone and feet being a particularly good attribute, along with a great temperament.

I love talking to other breeders about being selective in what they are breeding and adhering carefully to the breed standards, the checker key is very useful, particularly if a lot of the same lines have gathered in an area.

At the shows, it is a great opportunity to explain to people about the breed and encourage them to breed pedigree and if they are looking to go into the meat side, encourage them to do Pedigree Pork.

I would definitely encourage people to Birth notify all litters but only register the very best of the litters, I cannot believe that people actually have complete litters that all meet breed standard!!

I would be able to help with the breed survey and would be more than willing to assist with herd inspections, indeed our club, British Saddleback Breeders Club has held herd competitions, this involves Senior Club Members visiting people's herds and it proved fascinating what various breeders were doing to improve their herds and where they were going for all their bloodlines.

In short, I would do anything in my capacity to help with the breed, wherever it is needed.

 

 

 

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