Award Winning Pigs

 We interviewed Chris when he came back from his second fayre this winter showing pigs to understand why he loves what he does.


How long have you been farming pigs for? 

7 years

Why do you enjoy it so much as it’s not the usual job to aspire to do?

I like working with pigs, it’s a really enjoyable job. There is so much more to pig farming than meets the eye, constantly having different targets to hit and you never stop learning. It’s all about attention to detail which many people overlook. You need to understand how to get the best out of your stock.

When did you start showing pigs?

After one year of farming them. It’s a really good opportunity to compare stock with others and get an opinion on your own. You can find out ways to improve. There are usually 1,000’s of people who come and watch from all walks of life, either joe-public or those genuinely really interested in the business which is brilliant because they get to see good stock and how it’s maintained-a very good educational aspect to showing pigs. It is very competitive and always rewarding.

How many rosettes did you win last month?

Eleven, three of them firsts and one of the fayres was the biggest live fat stock show in Europe so I’m pretty happy.



Porkers are under 65kg in weight and are used for all fresh pork. Cutters are between 66kg and 85kg and are for fresh pork and a bit of bacon. Baconers are between 86kg and 105kg and are mainly used for bacon. When showing a pair of pigs in each category, you have to make sure they are as similar in size as possible and looking the same, it’s all about conformity in your herd. 

And what is in the future for you and Dingley Dell’s pigs?

Hopefully the summer shows, though these are usually pedigree pigs.

Thank you Chris! For more information on what Dingley Dell gets up to go to www.dingleydell.com