Showing pigs is a great way to:
- Help Conserve the Breed
- Improve your herd
- Meet fellow pig keepers
- Show the public our fantastic animals
- Encourage others into pig keeping
- Encourage sales of breeding and finishing stock
The Club encourages showing by members with the organisation of various competitions (including the Champion of Champions) and the award of special Championship rosettes at many shows.
Showing is not all that daunting – unlike some other species, pig exhibitors will give you lots of help. Many shows are held around the country, and our Shows page will give you a list of shows that you might like to enter. You can always come along and chat with exhibitors at shows to get a feel for what it is like to show. There are some helpful articles which give good advice to novice exhibitors.
- A Beginner’s Guide To Showing
- Isolation Unit Regualtions (DEFRA)
- Ethical Behaviour at Shows
- The Ring Steward’s Duties
- Showing wasn’t for us…….or was it?
- Countdown to the Show Pt1
Sarah Whitley shows how it’s done.
When you get into showing pigs, one thing you’ll need is wood flour. This is a fine floor used after the final wash to help dry the pig off and to ‘whiten’ the coat and skin (chalk etc. are banned). You can get supplies here – http://www.waldburgshires.co.uk. To make the black spots stand out and shine, rub in a little oil such as baby oil.
Showing GOS pigs is a great advertisement for the breed and your herd – shows are the shop window which help sell pigs.
For those planning on going showing for the first time, there is a useful list of equipment etc. that you will need to take with you supplied by Mandy Garbutt – use it as a check list and add to it as needed – Showequipmentlist Available now in the Members’ Area News section is a copy of the Club’s insurance certificate & schedule for members who show to download as required. This is available to members only. If you show and are not a member why not join our club and make use of this terrific value benefit of automatic Public Liability Insurance covering your pigs while at a show in the UK. Some shows insist that you show proof of such insurance which is why it is now available on this website for members to print off free of charge. It’s one thing less to worry about when you start showing and if you went for your own cover from the likes of NFU Mutual, you would expect to pay a premium running into hundreds of pounds! Any queries regarding insurance or showing please email mail@gospbc.co.uk Although some exhibitors find showing their pigs quite nerve racking, GOS are usually pretty laid-back about the whole thing and just take it in their stride…
Chillaxing at the South of England Show.