It's been a very unusual, and somewhat harrowing, year for Killawarra's Peter Fotheringham.
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In October 2020, he suffered horrendous injuries in a tree felling accident that saw him flown by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter to John Hunter Hospital, spend 10 days in an induced coma, and months in hospital, all of which he is still recovering from.
On Saturday, March 19, another disaster but with a personally happy ending - his daughter Kate had to be helicoptered from Killawarra to Wingham over floodwaters to be married - which included the culmination of a goal Peter had worked towards from his accident.
A few weeks later was Peter's annual foray into the Sydney Royal Easter Show with his beloved chooks, with results that made him "rather chuffed".
Watch Kate Fotheringham's 'news story' about Farmer Foggy and his large white ... rooster:
Peter has been showing for around 20 years, and his property to home to countless chooks (too many, Peter says, for his wife's liking).
He breeds mostly Rhode Islands - both regular sized and bantams, and both reds and whites, golden lacewings and a few other breeds as well.
This year in Sydney his chooks picked up Best Bantam Rhode Island White Male, Best Bantam Rhode Island White Female, Champion and Reserve Champion Bantam Rhode Island White, and Reserve Champion Bantam Rhode Island.
"The best one of all was winning Reserve Rhode Island Bantam, which is out of the reds and the whites," Peter said.
"A red actually got champion, but I don't think a white's ever got reserve. That would probably be the biggest win. Usually a red gets champion, and the second best red beats the white again."
Peter has, in the past, won Champion Rhode Island Bantam once with one of his red's.
The poultry section of the Sydney Royal Easter Show is well presented by the Manning region every year, with the Tisdells from Wherrol Flat always picking up a swag of prizes.
"This is one of the strongest chook areas in Australia. If you can beat what's strong around here, you're doing well. It's the best of the best around here," Peter said.
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