The boar lines both past and present and remember for pedigree breeding purpose the boar must have 14 evenly spaced and parallel teats as well as all the other necessary attributes as per our breed standard interactive map on our website. Good temperament is PARAMOUNT and we must also remember that the boar is the dominate factor it is he who’s progeny will carry forward the genes of teat alignment and we must always look at the compatibility of our pedigree breeding whereby our #OSBPG Register will be of help.
The Boar bloodlines are a very simple and straightforward analysis.
In the herdbook volumes 1 and 2 the following boars were present:
Alexander, Alistair, Boris, Clarence, Henry, Jack
Today’s Current BOAR LINES
Alexander, Alistair, Clarence, Jack
As you can see, we only have FOUR boar bloodlines and this is how fragile our breed is hence why the Charity beseech you to travel and look at the compatibility of your pedigree herd and any new lines you wish to introduce. Our #OSBPG Register can help you with this, available on our website.
What follows is the description and founding of each bloodline as Mr Sheppy explained.
JACK BLOODLINE: The foundation boar of the line was Dean Grove Jack born in 1977 and the very first animal registered in the Herdbook as 1FS. He was homebred. The Jack line is very simple and straightforward and all current Jacks trace back to Dean Grove Jack 1FS
BORIS BLOODLINE: This bloodline was based on the boar Farway Boris and was bred at the Farway Country Park from stock from Portsmouth City Council’s Leighpark Herd. The only Boris line boar registered appears to have been Happyhogs Boris’s Ceasar 3FS bred by Nancy Howard. The Boris bloodline influence on later stock is via his daughters of the Gloria line.
CLARENCE BLOODLINE: This bloodline is based on Donmar Clarence 4FS. Bred by Don North. Clarence 4FS was out of one of two sows from Mrs Watts and by a boar known as Aristotle whose origins are not recorded. Again this bloodline line is another simple line in that all the Clarences’ trace back to Clarence 4FS.
ALEXANDER BLOODLINE: The original Alexander came from the pigs, which came to Mr Sheppy’s Farm, from Derek Dunstan in 1982. Cobthorn Alexander was the first and his Great Grandson – Cobthorn Alexander’s Colonel 5FS was widely used in the 1980’s and is the origin of the later Alexander Boars. Mr Sheppy told us how Colonel was picked up from farm to farm to service sows up and down the country until one farmer decided to weigh Colonel as he was a big boy. Mr Sheppy was told that Colonel weighed 728lbs! (330kg). Mr Sheppy talked about Colonel with such fondness reiterating how gentle and wonderful he was and how he sired some wonderful progeny. Colonel was out of a Chasewood sow.
HENRY BLOODLINE: The only boar ever to be registered from this line appears to have been Edgehill Henry’s Cavalier 8FS. He was registered as “Breeder unknown” from litter bought from a dealer, pedigree of pig unknown. Although inspected and registered there appears to have been no further pigs of this line
ALISTAIR BLOODLINE: This bloodline comes from Cobthorn Alistair 13FS born in 1985. He was out of Bemborough Alice 1015A who was pure Chasewoods breeding. His sire was Cobthorn Alexander’s Colonel 4FS so could have been called an Alexander, but being three quarters Chasewoods breeding was made a separate line.
Tomorrow we will discuss the Sow lines. Make sure you have a large cuppa ready.
Footnote: All information was directly given to Kim Brook by Mr Sheppy. This information was also shared at a talk Mr Sheppy attended by invitation of the #OSBPigGroup in March 2016. Therefore subject to copyright to the #osbpiggroup Permission will be granted if asked as long as credit is given to the OSBPG.
Photo: at source
#OSBPGHistory