The Royal Experience
Uploaded September 2004

It felt like the time I took my driving test, you know the feeling the queasy stomach churning wait until you can actually get in the car and get started. Once you're in there nothing else matters except the job you have to do.

We stayed overnight with Chris and Kev's, as we have been doing for the last couple of years, ever since it "rained in our lorry" and left us with nothing dry except for what we stood up in. Chris invited us to stop the following year and now we move in each Royal and stay for the show and it is brill. But moving on it was the weirdest feeling not being able to go into the Pig lines I found myself sitting with my friend Brian Card putting bands round posters for Marcus in the B.P.A. tent.

Then into the ring and my first class if I was hoping for an easy gentle introduction I was mistaken but very pleased as the Senior boars were brought into the ring. All of a sudden you are aware of nothing else except the pigs in front of you and all the nerves just disappeared, I placed Viki's Moorsholm Peter Lad first as I felt that not only was he still well up on his toes, good action and I could stand back and still see all his teats.

The January boar class was again a challenge but by this time I am feeling confident and Jo and Hector's Orlando 6 came top of my list. The Sow class was another strong class and after much deliberation I went for Chris and Kev's lovely Royal Lustre 24 good deep body well up on her toes with a smashing underline and a good top line. Chris and Kevin's July gilt well on in pig took the honours in the July class.

And the January gilt class I went for David with his very pretty Royal Sapphire, which I think, will go on to be a lovely Sow. My Breed Champion had to be Chris and Kevin's lovely Sow over Jo and Hector's January boar although it was so close but in the end I just felt that the Sow had age on her side giving her the advantage of maturity in her bone and muscle structure. It would be nice to see the Orlando out next season, as I am sure he would do well. I am so pleased that so many people made the effort to bring their pigs forward, and the quality was very good, some teats on the gilts I felt were small but on the whole there was not a pig in the ring that should not have been there.

Sharon Barnfield