Liz and Bill Nickson celebrating the arrival of their piglets by naming them after various Great Britian gold winning athletes.

Cockfield: Pigs named after Great Britain’s Olympic heroes

By Matt Gaw
Thursday, August 9, 2012
12:00 PM

WELCOME to the Olympic Sty-dium.

Liz and Bill Nickson celebrating the arrival of their piglets by naming them after various Great Britian gold winning athletes.

These little piggies might not be medal winners, but they have names that will certainly go down in sporting history.

Smallholder Bill Nickson and his wife Liz said they decided to celebrate London 2012 GB by calling all ten of their Gloucestershire Old Spot piglets after the “fantastic competitors” of Team GB.

Born during the lavish opening ceremony, team Great Brawn features the whiskery chops of Bradley Wiggins and the small but speedy Victoria Pendleton.

Mr Nickson, 60, of Windsor Green, Cockfield, said Jessica Ennis, Zara Phillips, Sir Chris Hoy, Andy Murray, Rebecca Addlington, Jason Kenny, Mo Farah and Anthony Ogogo, were welcome additions to his sporting stable.

Liz and Bill Nickson celebrating the arrival of their piglets by naming them after various Great Britian gold winning athletes.

“We actually decided beforehand that we wanted to do something for the games because we knew when they were due, but then they arrived during the opening ceremony.

He added: “One of us stayed with Dashi, the sow, while the other watched the Olympic opening ceremony. I think it was all finished by about 1am.”

Grandfather-of-four Mr Nickson said although it was a bit of a stretch to see any physical similarities between the piggy namesakes, some of them definitely had a turn of pace.

Mr Nickson, who described himself as head of nutrition, added: “Victoria Pendleton has got a real turn of speed when she runs round the pen. And Rebecca is quite fond of water.”

But although Team GB can expect to remain national heroes at the conclusion of the games, team Great Brawn faces a slightly less certain future.

“We are a small holding so we try to be as self-funding as possible. So some of them will stay with us and others will go as weaners at eight weeks old.”

Mr Nickson added: “So it’s possible you might one day be munching on Victoria Pendleton.”