This is my boar Jara Sir William FitzRalph of Greystoke. His sire is Old Cottage Noah to my very first foundation line from Belgium.
As many of you know I have relocated from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern one. It is amazing, and tough. I think that its easier in the South the piggies do thrive easily. It has been a while since I have written a blog due to just lack of interest really, however I thought that I would just touch base and write a short update on me and my journey hand in paw with my piggies.
Taking Daisy's line and putting it to my original lines from Holland and Belgium produced in the 3rd generation, Jara's show pig Best in Show Winner Jara lady Agoutique. By the 4th generation Daisy has influenced both Angelique's Angelo Cavy and Andrea's Besame, with pigs which have made a massive difference in their breeding programmes. By Icy's 5th generation Jara after much genetic hard work is showing some of the first Coronets on the show bench, Daisy's GGGreat Grand Children. Daisy has truly left her mark on South Africa's long coats..... and although been retired for the last two years, her children are continuing her legacy on new levels. Dkk Champion Black Sun Von Nitouche
On the topic of the Sheba Mini Yak ... SAGPS Stand on the Breed in South Africa. After I just saw an add for this breed at the going rate of 500 rand a baby... I thought it would be important to state the SAGPS stand on the breed, after a lengthy discussion with an Australian judge (where the breed originates). I learnt that the Sheba Mini Yak was an exclusive breed to Australia... in the sense that its coat texture was very unique to the breed, after further discussion I learnt that the breed was dying out in Australia as the breed was mated to or crossed out with other long coat breeds. It was also brought to my attention that there where a few breeders in Australia, who had some of the original Mini Sheba Yaks, working very hard at preserving and strengthening the breed with its original breed qualities that made them Mini Sheba Yaks.... There has been No Mini Sheba Yaks imported into South Africa from Australia (THIS IS A FACT)! A multi rosetted Peruvian is not and I repeat NOT a Mini Sheba Yak!!! I would also like to add that a badly bred Rex with a longer less dense coat is NOT a Teddy... One cannot cross different breeds of Guinea Pigs that are not breeding true and sell them to the general public who are none the wiser as exotic or different breeds... I do not believe this builds Guinea Pig breeds in South Africa, but has the complete opposite effect, and breaks down the work that other breeders are doing to preserve pure bred pigs in South Africa. SAGPS show season ended on a all time high with the addition of new members showing their Guinea Pigs to see the season out with all time record entries.... The high light of 2016, other than a whole stack of fun and wonderful Piggies on the show bench, was definitely the growth of the SAGPS active show members. We had a lot of new champions gaining their 400 points and joining the wall of fame as champions: SA Champion Jara Cio Jim Colata SA Champion Jara Balla Beena SA Champion Jara Isobel SA Champion Jara Icy Lilly SA Champion Jara Voodoo Girl SA Champion Petit Cochon Lumier Most of these champions bred by myself other than Lumier bred by Roberta, shows the dominance of Jara bred pigs on the show bench in SA, which I hope with change in 2017 with so many new breeders joining the SAGPS breeding and showing their own homebred piggies.... 2016 Pig Of the Year was bred by Bruce Pieters from the 3G Cavy Stud. Its been an awesome show season! 2017 will kick off with a judges course, accompanied by our annual SAPGS Judges show. A special thank you to all SAGPS members and their participation and commitment to ensure that the shows go on..... We kicked off this year with the Mnandi Guinea pig Club show... What an awesome show with a Skinny, Jara Spiderman owned and bred by myself taking Best in show under Glenn Kirkwood-Eales. The Reserve Best in show was a Rex pig bred by myself Jara Barrock Ice, who was 2016 SAGPS Guinea Pig of the year. He is cirrentky owned by Angel Martin. The next Show in May is the Judges show that will be hosting the 2016 judges training. We have delegates from all over SA for this training and show!!! Very exciting...
Time is always meant to heal and create new directions for people. Yet in South Africa in the Guinea Pig world there seems still to be much stagnation, in the sense that due to unresolved issues and lack of understanding Guinea Pigs in SA seem to be as an overall going backwards, instead of forwards.
Is this just another sweeping statement? I find that the two societies that have claimed responsibility for the well being and survival of Guinea Pigs in South Africa to be so far apart in their vision and understanding of pure breeds or pedigree that they are almost working against each other. The universal principles across all breeds of pedigree animals is to ensure that pedigree data and known or registered pure breeds are kept pure. Traditionally older establishments don't recognise the new "break away" groups or new unrecognised breeds to be part of the old establishments. Hence the break away or splits.... Now days often splits are simply caused by personality differences (lack of maturity). Certainly in the case of South African Guinea Pig owners. Hence the state of "pedigree" pigs in South Africa. Prior to the establishment of SAGPS, there was no formal register or record kept of pedigree Guinea Pigs, although many "pure bred" pigs had been imported from all over the world, no official record was kept. The first recorded pedigree pigs arrived from Holland from the De Gooise Kelder Cavies. These pigs and other imported pigs from Denmark established the integrity of the data base of registered pigs in South Africa. With the split so a new register was established. Established not only from some registered SAGPS pigs but also an array of Pet shop pigs introduced into the database of pedigrees compromising the actual "pedigree" pigs in SA. So you now have two kinds of registered pigs in SA.... The first set of pedigrees from the original imported pedigree pigs, and then the second register pedigrees with the introduction of "Pet shop" pigs. So which type prevails? The pedigree original or the introduced Petshop type. Well from what I am witnessing on social media, its the Petshop type. Long nosed smooth coated Rexes, Nine crowned Guinea Pigs. "Abyssinians" being bred from Petshop stock.... or rather an array of developed Petshop pigs with genetic records..... Thus compromising the original pure breed used. How does this serve in maintaining and preserving the costly imported purebred breeds in South Africa? The general man on the street has little knowledge on pure bred Guinea Pigs and seemingly this now includes others claiming to be "caretakers" of the pure bred breeds. I remember breeding my first rosette between the ears pig... Hell i was excited a "Coronet Rex" ! NO! My reality I had bred a pet shop pig. Bitter pill to swallow. So in South Africa is ignorance bliss, or simply a way of coating over a lack of genetic experience or responsibility towards the world wide acknowledged pure breeds? |
AuthorI am the co founder of the South African Guinea Pig Society (SAGPS) and the founder of the SAGPR (register). My passion for Guinea Pigs goes far and beyond Reason... I ask you be unreasonable with me! Archives
May 2021
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