National Bacon Championship

Northern Advocate, 28 May 1938, Page 5

National Bacon Championship

On March ,11 last, bacon pigs from

all over the North Island, as far south as Te Awumutu, flocked into the showground. On the same day, the judge of the pigs “on hoof” arrived. What sort of job did he have, and how did he do it?

Many people say that New Zealand judges “on hoof” are a poor lot and seldom get even one out of the first five placed as bacon. Let us see first of all what the judge is up against, and then with the pigs nicely on paper —weight, length, and all other points' put down and added up—see what the office end has to say about it. Picking The Pigs. First of all, we have some 100 pigs to compare. It is impossible to put them all in one ring at present, so they come in by tens and dozens and are picked over. The first thought of the office man is, supposing all are good pigs, and the first ten are by accident the best ten, all cannot fye kept in the ring.. Gradually the pigs are thinned out, until the last five- are chosen. This takes a long day. All breeds are there and all crosses. If all one breed were examined, it is reasonable to think that the job would be easier, each breed having its own characteristics, but the judge must figure them opt as they are, z Paper Results. Having decided that the job is too big for him, the office man feels he would be more at home with the paper results. Before taking the top five, he runs his eye down the totals list. Eighty-ono pigs are listed. Of these the first 49 pigs have only 14 points between them. Indeed, excluding the three highest pointed pigs, there are only ten points difference. Since the present stage of points total is all that a judge should use, having no external eye of meat, etc., indications, it is not proposed to go below the first 49 placings. However, it is possible for a lower pointed pig to come up well in the final count.

Points Tables. Let us look at the points tables. Two pigs being equal to the eye, when measured have 5 mm. difference in body length (one fifth of an inch) but the cost is one point. The judge needs to have a good eye. Leg length is easier for him. 10 mm„ nearly half an inch, for one point. The whole is complicated by weight. If two pigs are practically equal, except that one weighs 139 dead weight and the other 140. and both have leg length of 559 mm., there will be one point difference. If both have body length 750 mm., the difference will be two points, but it takes a good to guess between 139 and 140. Hams and shoulders account for 15 points, and should not be so hard.

Lastly, weight— 1241b5. and under • and 175 and over, do not stand much chance in quality company such as this is. Eight points are lost right away. Then there is another pitfall in these 49 pigs. As the points stand at present, the top five pigs have six points between them, three pigs a point less, then groups of 7-3-6-6-7-5-7, all a .point in each group. It is a miracle if the judge can place the ONE pig in the first 20. Who Would Be a Judge? , • Taking the five “hoof” pigs, and , judging them, A as they were placed,. . B their respective placings on actual marks, C as B, with weight marks deducted, D as they stand in present stage list of pigs, the position is:— * No. 50—A 1, 82, C2, D equal 31 with six others. No. 13-A 2, E 3, C2, D equal 50 with seven others. No. 18—A 3, 85, C 5, D equal 66 with one other. No. 15—A 4, 81, Cl, D equal 16 1 with one other.

No. 66—-A 5, 84, C 4, D equal 58 with two others.

As a matter of interest. No. 57, same litter as 56. made one point less. No. 14. same litter as 15. beat No. 15 by one point No, 67. litter sister to 66, beat No. 66 by 12 points. If you have read this carefully, . you will realise that No. 18. although 66 on list, is only 19 points less than top-pointed pig. And with 60 points still to go, anyone may win. Who would be a judge?