The
Durham Ox was a
castrated bull which became famous in the early 19th century for its shape, size and weight. It was an early example of what became the
Shorthorn breed of
cattle, and helped establish the standards by which the breed was to be defined.
History
The animal was born in March 1796 and was bred by Charles Colling of Ketton Hall,
Brafferton near
Darlington in
North-East England. Colling, together with his brother
Robert who farmed at nearby
Barmpton, was one of the pioneers of the cattle-breeding movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. After a visit in 1784 to
Robert Bakewell, a successful breeder of
Longhorn cattle, Colling began using Bakewell’s techniques to develop and improve the Shorthorn breed. The animal eventually known as the Durham Ox was the grandson of Colling’s original bull “Hubbach”, and became known as the Ketton Ox when it was exhibited in
Darlington in 1799. It was painted as such at five years old in 1801 by George Cuit of
Richmond.
In 1801 the ox was sold to John Day of Harmston, near Lincoln, for £250 (
2010: £ ). Day renamed it the Durham Ox and had a carriage specially made to transport it, drawn by four horses. For the next five years it toured with him around England and Scotland, exhibited to the public at agricultural fairs and other events. It proved extremely popular. For most of 1802 the Durham Ox was on show in London, where it is recorded that in one single day admission fees to see it totalled...
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