A North East pig enthusiast has found herself accoladed with one of the highest awards in Europe - and she could not be more pleased with her achievement.
Lisa Corcoran, of Witton-le-Wear, has been breeding rare and pedigree animals since she moved to the region from Kent six years ago.
One of her most prized breeds is her herd of Oxford Sandy and Black pigs. Despite being one of the oldest breeds native to the UK, they are very rare and have nearly gone extinct twice before.
But thanks to Lisa's hard work, her favourite pig breed are back on sure-footing, and her "excellent animal husbandry" has been recognised by the Oxford Sandy and Black Pig Foundation Charity.
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Lisa started her herd with only a few weaners (the term for piglets around 10 weeks old) and has since travelled all across the country to collect pigs to diversify her bloodline.
Having never received an award for her smallholding, Lisa found herself moved to tears during the awards ceremony.
She said: "It is a lot of work, but I love animals. The pigs are so friendly and docile, we often have people walking up the bridleway that stop to say hello to our herd.
"I started our group of pigs after moving up from Kent, and got a bit addicted to them! I am so lucky to have this opportunity to raise such a rare breed."
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"The Pig Excellence award is in recognition of our hard work and dedication to the breed. It is particularly meaningful as other pig breeders are the ones who voted for us."
Despite being a good, hardy breed, the Oxford Sandy and Black pig, also known as the plum-pudding pig, has nearly gone extinct twice before.
The Oxford Sandy and Black Pig Foundation Charity was founded to help protect the rare breed, providing advice for those that want to start pig husbandry, as well as helping breeders to locate bloodlines that are not in their area.
Earning a Pig Excellence from the charity means going up against other breeders from the UK, Ireland, and France.
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