The record number of entries in the Berkshire breed classes in
Yorkshire this year reflect the ever growing enthusiasm for this
delightful pig. A great favourite in Britain in the 19th Century, it
lost out to some of the 'modern breeds during the 20th Century but
is now regaining favour as the excellence of its qualities -
hardiness, fertility, friendliness - and exceptional flavour - are
now widely appreciated. Berkshires travelled, from very early in the
breed's history, to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United States
and elsewhere. As numbers have dwindled in the U.K boar bloodlines
have been re-imported from these émigrés; and today, at the great
Yorkshire Show, the Berkshire Breeders Club have collected together
one boar from every bloodline now working in the U.K (Seven). A
splendid gathering. In the last two years Berkshires are again
travelling abroad: to Japan and elsewhere. The merry-go-round spins.
Once you have tried the best Berkshire pork, sausages, and bacon/you
want them every time. And once you have kept a fit, friendly
Berkshire pig, you understand why Berkshire breeders tend to smile
so often!
AMBASSADOR
The Ambassador boar line dates back to 1976 when the Rare Breeds
Survival Trust imported a Lynjoleen Ambassador boar from Australia.
Hugh Cawthorn, the Berkshire Club's first Chairman, was one of the
earliest breeders to introduce this line into his Rumbold herd.
Early Ambassadors also featured in the Ebor Herd of Mrs D.P. Forth,
founder the Suzanne sow line.
FREIGHT TRAIN
The first Freight Train boar to be registered in the UK was Oakley
Freight Train, born in 1982 to a Royal Lustre sow belonging to Jo
Clarke, from semen imported from the USA by Geoffrey Cloke. The
Berkshire is one of the oldest breeds in America, with their first
herd book in 1883 showing an importation of pigs from Queen
Victoria's herd at Windsor.
LASSETTER
A Lynjoleen Lassetter boar was imported from Australia in 1994 by
the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (using funds from a special appeal
contributed to, amongst others, by Berkshire breeders ) Semen was
collected for long- term storage but the imported boar died before
he could be used in a breeding programme. In 2002 Geoffrey and
Jonathan Cloke introduced the Lassetter line into the Berkshire
breed in Britain with a litter from Wedlock Royal Lustre 2.
MAMA ABEL
The Nama Abel line originated with a Berkshire boar from
Palmerstown, North Island, New Zealand. Grinton Abel was imported by
the Copas Brothers in 1960. He was crossed with Martha and Royal
Lustre sows to produce Prince Abel and Royal Abel. Royal Abels were
then crossed to females sired by Namatjira boars to produce Nama
Abel.
NAMATJIRA
The Namatjira line was named after Albert Namatjira, a well known
Aboriginal Australian painter. All Namatjira boars in Britain go
back to Lynjoleen Namatjira who was imported by Don Oswin from
Australia in 1965.
ORLANDO
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust imported the Orlando boar line from
Australia in 1994 with a boar
from the Lynjoleen herd in Australia. Semen was collected for long
term storage and then Lynjoleen Orlando was crossed with Sladepark
Farewell 20 and Ashgood Excelsa 16 by breeder Geoffrey Cloke, on
behalf of the RBST, to produce Survival Orlando and Survival Orlando
2. In recent years this line, in Jo Wykes-Sneyd's Bruisyard herd,
has enjoyed considerable success in the show ring with Bruisyard
Orlando 4, 6 4 7 all winning Interbreed Championships at the Royal
Show.
PETER LAD
The origins of the Peter Lad line can be traced back to Countess
Stella Szchini's Peterstone herd from whom Stephen Player bought
Resolution 5. He crossed him with Whipling Sally Lunn 42 to start
the Peter Lunn line. Whipling Peter Lunn 16 was purchased by the
Copas brothers for their Cookham herd, and this boar sired the first
Cookham Peter Lad out of a Martha sow, and Cookham Peter Lad 2 and 3
out of a Royal Lustre sow.
