21 YEARS AGO According to this article, the Hampshire Down breed’s most important economic attributes are its outstanding hindquarters and rapid growth to maturity.
The greatest value of the purebred Hampshire Down lies in its ability to produce award-winning slaughter lambs when top-crossed with other breeds.
Because of the outstanding hybrid vigour of such crossbreds, they invariably surpass purebreds in both rate of growth and excellence of carcass.
As its name implies, the breed originated in the rich agricultural country of Hampshire in southern England during the 19th century.
Farmers resorted to a three-way cross, each breed being selected for a different economic trait. The cross was composed of the Wiltshire Horn for hardiness, Southdown for muscling, and Berkshire Knot for prolifigacy. The new breed thrived exceptionally well in the region, known to this day for its many low hills called ‘downs’. Further improved by judicious selection, the final product proved considerably larger than the Southdown, although fairly similar in conformation.
Hampshire Downs first arrived in South Africa in 1942, when Danie Erasmus of Tarkastad imported two rams and 13 ewes from England. Six years later, Noel Levey, also of Tarkastad, imported a consignment, followed in 1960 by a parcel brought in by the Arnolds family of Cookhouse.
Since then there have, from time to time, been more imports from Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand.
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