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Robert Bakewell was an English agriculturalist who pioneered the systematic selective breeding of sheep, cattle and horses. Born in Leicestershire, he is best known for his breeding of sheep with superior wool, such as the Lincoln Longwool, which led to the creation of many modern breeds.<\/p>\n
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My father was a farmer, like me. He was interested in the history of animal breeding. To showcase rare breeds he opened the Cotswold Farm Park in 1971 and would tell me about this man who did so much to shape British agriculture. Dad set out the Farm Park livestock displays so they suited periods of history, from the Iron Age<\/a> to the modern day. To help represent the agricultural revolution paddock, we had a 20ft Foamex board cut-out of Bakewell sat on a horse, so I\u2019ve been aware of him for years.<\/p>\n He was a real trailblazer when it came to improving livestock. He was also one of the first people to start selective breeding, coupling the best rams with the best ewes, and the best bulls with the best cows. He was quite a large man, so he didn\u2019t just understand the importance of the quality of food, he obviously ate well too!<\/p>\n The vital role he played in the development of British farm breeds and, in particular, regional breeds. Bakewell played a key part in the development of early breed selection, which has helped give so many areas of the country an identity \u2013 be it Hereford or Angus, which are famous for their cattle, or the Cotswolds, which is famous for its sheep. These regional breeds are part of what makes Britain what it is today \u2013 and they have been taken all over the world by those who settled in places like Canada, Australia and New Zealand.<\/p>\n In my view, it was the creation of the Leicester Longwool Sheep, with its long, lustrous fleece, which was created by mating ewes and rams with high-quality wool. We sometimes forget that the wool trade \u2013 which was built, to a large extent, on longwool breeds with fabulous fleeces \u2013 had a huge impact on the nation\u2019s wealth.<\/p>\n Yes, we both worked with livestock. One of my favourite aspects of farming is selecting the correct bull or ram to go with a herd or flock and looking forward to how the offspring turn out!<\/p>\n I think he would regard some modern selective breeding as a step too far. Due to breeding-in traits like double muscling, Belgian Blue cows often can\u2019t give birth and have to have a caesarean. After around three caesareans, a cow will not be able to breed any more. Pushing so hard for production in livestock can cause welfare issues, and I\u2019m not sure that would have sat easily with Bakewell.<\/p>\n Adam Henson is a presenter on BBC Countryfile.<\/em> He also runs the Cotswold Farm Park and wrote a children\u2019s book, A Year on Adam\u2019s Farm<\/em> (Penguin, 2021)<\/strong><\/p>\n This content first appeared in the November 2021 issue of BBC History Magazine<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nWhat kind of person was he?<\/h3>\n
What made Bakewell a hero?<\/h3>\n
What was Bakewell\u2019s finest hour?<\/h3>\n
Can you see any parallels between his life and your own?<\/h3>\n
What do you think Bakewell would make of modern farm-animal breeding?<\/h3>\n