National Swine Registry
PRESS RELEASE
For more information contact:
Darrell Anderson, CEO
Tamara Choat, Director of Marketing & Communications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2011
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The largest junior pedigreed barrow and gilt show in the world, the World Pork Expo (WPX) Junior National, is again setting records this year, surpassing last year’s high achievement with 1,812 total entries in the 2011 junior show. Coming this week June 7-10, the WPX Junior National is hosted jointly by the National Junior Swine Association (NJSA) and Team Purebred. The NJSA is an organization for youth ages 21 and under who have an interest in the Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace and Yorkshire breeds of swine, and is a division of the National Swine Registry (NSR), the pedigreed association of the same breeds.
The WPX Junior National will start Tuesday, June 7, with registration and check-in. Wednesday will offer Youth Pork Quality Assurance training in the morning, followed by the purebred and crossbred barrow shows at noon. Thursday will include a showmanship contest and the purebred gilt show. Friday’s activities include a youth swine judging contest and the sweepstakes ceremony – recognizing winners with the highest point totals among the gilt show, showmanship and judging contest events.
The WPX Junior National has seen a continued rise in participation since its inception in 2004. The 2010 show saw a record 1,374 entries in the NJSA portion of the event, a jump of 23 percent from 2009. This year’s more modest growth of 4 percent was still pleasantly surprising, says NSR CEO Darrell Anderson.
“It has been amazing to watch the Junior National grow faster than any other purebred junior swine show in America,” says Anderson. “This event truly gives the kids a chance to be exposed to the total industry with all the other activities in the pork industry going on at the WPX. It is exciting, and shows that we still have lots of kids interested in the pork industry in general.”
Sarah Schwab, NSR junior activities coordinator, says this year’s entries come from 26 different states, and from coast to coast.
“We have participants from California to Maryland, and from North Dakota to Texas – it’s incredible to see how far these kids and their families come to take part in this exciting event,” Schwab says. “We put a lot of time into this to make the overall experience as rewarding as possible for all participants, not just the winners of the contests.”
The first World Pork Expo open swine show (not specifically for youth) was held in 1988, building off the traditional Midwest Type Conferences formerly held by the individual swine breeds that now comprise the NSR. The open show continues to show success as well. This year entries are even with last year, with approximately 500 Duroc, Landrace, Hampshire and Yorkshire gilts and boars entered in the NSR portion of the event. The top boars and gilts from each breed will be offered for sale on Saturday; the auction sale can be viewed online via www.EDJEcast.com.
For more information on the World Pork Expo Junior National and open shows, visit the National Swine Registry website at www.nationalswine.com. Or, contact NSR CEO Darrell Anderson at darrell@nationalswine.com or NSR Junior Activities Coordinator Sarah Schwab at sarah@nationalswine.com; both are also available at 765.463.3594.
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About the National Swine Registry
The National Swine Registry formed in 1994 as a result of the consolidation of the American Yorkshire Club, the Hampshire Swine Registry and the United Duroc Swine Registry. In January 1998, the American Landrace Association joined the NSR. Services of the NSR include litter registrations, performance pedigrees, breed promotion and marketing assistance as well as education and genetic consultation. The NSR is located in West Lafayette, Ind. For more information call 765.463.3594 or visit www.nationalswine.com.
About the National Junior Swine Association
The National Junior Swine Association is the largest youth livestock organization in the country, with more than 11,500 members. The NJSA was formally established in 2000 for youth, ages 21 and under, who have an interest in the Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace and Yorkshire breeds of swine. The NJSA offers youth a variety of opportunities to reach their potential through leadership conferences, scholarship programs, and national and regional junior shows featuring numerous educational contests.
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