Dorset Horn

Lore & Background

The Dorset Horn originated in Dorset in south-west England. Like the extinct Pink-nosed Somerset, it probably derived from cross-breeding of Merinos imported from Spain with local tan-faced sheep similar to the modern Portland. Unlike many British lowland breeds, it was not influenced by cross-breeding with Leicester or Southdown breeds. A breeders' society was set up in 1891 and the first flock book was published in 1892.

Reader's Guide

The Dorset Horn was exported to many countries, including Australia, South Africa, and the United States, where first arrivals were in the 1860s and substantial numbers from about 1880. It reached Australia in 1895 and New Zealand in 1897. In 2023 it was reported to DAD-IS by twenty countries; the largest population was in Denmark with 1191 head. A polled variant, the Poll Dorset, was bred in Australia and later introduced to the UK, where it rapidly supplanted the horned variant. Another polled variant arose in the US from a polled sport. The breed contributed to the development of the Dorper, Dormer, British Milksheep, and Cadzow Improver. Its conservation status varies by country: vulnerable in Australia, priority in New Zealand, threatened in the USA, and at risk in the UK.

Did You Know?

• The Dorset Horn is the only British sheep breed capable of breeding throughout the winter.
• It is horned in both sexes, with heavy spiral horns on rams.
• The breed's nostrils are a characteristic pink.
• The Dorset Horn contributed to the development of the Dorper and Dormer breeds of South Africa.