Party pig farmers deliver with show style
There were committee meetings, BYO dinners, feeding schedules and even a glamorous ball – all in the name of a pig.
After months of preparation, the Bhuja Boar Breeders syndicate presented their prize pig, Steineken, to the Canterbury A&P Show judges in Christchurch on Thursday.
To the delight of the syndicate, made up of eight lads in their mid20s, Steineken was awarded third place.
‘‘Oh mate, we are just pumped and rapt for the podium finish,’’ Bhuja Boar Breeders’ party liaison officer Scott Black, 29, said.
When the group of Glenmark Rugby Club friends heard pig entries in the A&P Show were low, they decided to buy a piglet and raise him as a champion.
With no experience in raising pigs or showing livestock, they got to work, starting with an inspirational name.
‘‘He’s named after a tipple we quite enjoy, which is a Steinlager and Heineken mixed together,’’ Black said.
‘‘So it was after a few Steinekens, and we were at Nick’s place for a barbecue in March, and long story short, one of our syndicate members sourced this pig from Sefton.’’
On a diet of crushed grain, fodder beet and milk, Steineken quickly outgrew and destroyed a sty at Black’s parents farm.
He was then taken to a property in Culverden.
‘‘He was about 30 to 40 kilograms when we got him, just a piglet, and now he’s around 120kg I think,’’ Black said.
Bhuja Boar Breeders treasurer Nick Bell, 25, said Steineken as a piglet cost about $400, with $250 coming from each syndicate member to feed and prepare him for showing.
But the real cost was the group’s matching outfits, he said.
‘‘All the old boys down in the sheep breeders’ bar at the show just love it,’’ Bell said.
‘‘They just can’t believe we are here showing a pig in our blazers and purple ties.’’
Black said they were happy they could bring some youth to the show, ‘‘and just have some fun with it’’.
Committee meetings were held to discuss Steineken’s progress and feeding regime.
And last week a ball at the Burnside Rugby Club gathered support.
The whole spectacle was almost written off when Steineken refused to get into the truck the day before the show.
‘‘He escaped at least 20 times and I tell you what, before long we were thinking sausages.’’
Bell greased Steineken with a mix of olive oil and baby oil before judging.
‘‘We don’t know what’s best, but personally we go for the spray-on olive oil from the can,’’ Bell said.
Claiming third prize, the syndicate was awarded a ribbon, with first place winning $12.
‘‘So yeah, there’s definitely money in it,’’ Black said.
The lads said their pride and joy now needed a permanent home – ‘‘we’d love to see him happy somewhere’’.
‘‘He really is the people’s pig.’’ NZ