Farm Of The Week: Family happy living high on the hog

It’s as though this is a forgotten land, certainly some forgotten roads due to the number of potholes, and it seems to take an age to travel what is just six miles from York to Acaster Selby to the home of one of the UK’s leading pig showing families.

Trisha Horsley was born here too many years ago than she cares to remember and whilst the farm has changed since she was a little girl the pigs have been a constant factor.

“My grandfather was a pork butcher in Fulford and he showed pigs in the 1920s. My dad (Kenneth Triffitt) took over from him and at one time we had two shops, the other being in Wetherby. Dad wanted to be in farming and he was fortunate enough to take on Avenue Farm here as a tenant.

“This was once mainly a dairy farm, but today we have pigs, cattle and sheep on the 20 acres we now farm. Pigs have always been my passion. We currently have 32 sows including Middle Whites, Large Whites, Hampshires, Tamworths, Large Blacks and Welsh. My own particular preference is the Middle White because they are really friendly and that’s also what my grandfather and my dad showed most, but I show all the breeds we have.

“The Middle White went down significantly in numbers a good few years ago, but it has come back strongly as people have renewed their interest in the breed. The Large White is currently in quite serious danger. It was hugely popular at one time.”

The Acaster Herd of Pedigree pigs was formed in 1946, originally having been the Fulford herd and Trisha has winners’ certificates back as far as 1949 when her grandfather won at Cheshire Show.

“Winning at the Great Yorkshire Show is such a great feeling and probably my proudest moment was being the only competitor in the ring with both the male and female champion Middle Whites at the show, which of course meant that we were breed champions. That was in 2005.”

The number of rosettes won by the family last year across all the shows they attended throughout Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire make up a very colourful large box of silk, and it really is a team effort.

“Everyone gets involved and we take two trailer loads to each show. I’m already starting to take a look at this year’s team, selecting which ones I think will do the best. We farrow in July and January for the show pigs and I’m always looking for the perfect pig.

“The important qualities are that it needs a good underline, a good head and especially with the Middle White it needs a squashed nose, a straight back, the tail needs to be set correctly and as any showman or woman will tell you, a leg in each corner. Show pigs also need to walk straight and be up on their toes. The type of underline depends on the breed. If it’s a gilt then it needs to be pretty straight. The teats have to be evenly spaced, preferably with 14 altogether and no dummy teats in between.”

If this all smacks of someone who knows a thing or two about showing you’d be right. Trisha also judges at such prestigious events as the Bath & West. She judged at the Royal Show before its demise and this year she is due to judge at Stafford. One show she won’t judge at is the Great Yorkshire.

“If I judge then I can’t compete and although I enjoy judging I couldn’t miss competing at Harrogate. I was asked to judge this last year when someone had to drop out. I’m on the show committee and it’s the best show in the country.

“I think there’s now more friendship in showing than when my grandfather and dad competed.

“It was a lot more serious when I was younger but there seems to be more friendship now and it has become much more of a social occasion.”

The farm is very much a business and the pigs are sold at Selby Livestock Market, with pedigrees being sold direct from Avenue Farm. Trisha is also one of the organisers of the Rare Breed Sales that take place at York Livestock Centre twice a year.

Trisha and her husband Richard have also developed a useful sideline in marketing rare breed meat. They also provide hog roasts and supply local retailers, hotels and pubs with their home-produced pork. Richard also makes and sells pig arks.

The cattle operation is via a suckler herd with calves bought-in and sold on. Herefords form the base of the herd. The Horsleys have around 20 ewes, ranging from Soay to Suffolks and they also have a Texel tup.

Richard and Trisha met at Tadcaster YFC. Richard’s father moved to Tadcaster to work for John Sykes at North Milford and he lived at Willow Farm before they were married.

He’s also very involved with the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, particularly the Countryside Educational Days for schoolchildren in June.

“There are so many children from towns and cities who have never been taken out into the countryside.

“Giving them the opportunity to touch and feel the pigs you see some amazing looks of delight on their faces.”

Trisha and Richard have five offspring – Charlotte, 27, Georgina, 26, Matthew, 23, Millie, 19 and Alyssia, 11.

Each of them has an involvement with the pig showing, even if it’s just taking photographs from the sidelines. There is also now a fifth generation at Avenue Farm with little Alfie, Charlotte’s son.

Millie recently represented the British Pig Association GB team that competed in the US and she’s due to return this year. She’s determined to carry on in her mum’s footsteps and is looking to pass her trailer test so that she can go to shows on her own.

I found that Trisha does just have one little gripe about agricultural shows.

“I do get a bee in my bonnet about this at times, but pigs are the poor relations at shows. It has always been the case that in the press it is cattle and sheep all the time and that’s such a shame because so many people who come to shows love the pig sections.

“It still doesn’t change how I feel about shows in general though. To me showing pigs is what it’s all about.”

Trisha Horsley is featured showing one of her pigs at last year’s Driffield Show where I attempted to interview her in the pig ring.

You can view it on You Tube using this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma7kNQrMfGM or Google – You Tube Chris Berry Driffield Show 2012.