The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Desire for good fleece led to years of shetland breeding
Rena Douglas, from Cupar, found a firm friend in the minority breed
Farmers are often propelled into the pedigree breeding of livestock for a variety of very diverse reasons, but the end product is rarely far from mind.
In the case of Cupar-based Shetland sheep breeder Rena Douglas, of Cedar Cottage, this inspiration was actually the highest quality of fleece.
A passionate and lifelong yarn spinner, Rena was not born from farming-stock – instead a case of ‘needs must’ began her journey into the world of rare breed sheep.
“There was such a limited opportunity to purchase fleece to spin that I decided it was time to produce my own,” said Rena, who hails from Inverness but moved to Fife when her husband Ian took up a teaching position at Madras.
Rena turned to friend and ultimate mentor Alex M Wilson, of The Red House, Freuchie, who introduced and immersed her firstly within the Jacob breed, before latterly igniting her passion for Shetland sheep.
For generations, the minority breed has been renowned for its exceptionally soft and well crimped fleece. The wool is the finest of all the native breeds, providing a wide variety of shades and markings; yielding high quality, naturally coloured yarn.
“Alex set me out on a successful path from the very beginning,” recalled Rena, who established her Drum prefix in the late 1970s.
Indeed, one of the first Drum tup lambs launched Rena into the world of showing by winning his class and standing reserve champion Jacob at Perth on the very first occasion that she set foot in a ring.
“I didn’t have any idea how to show, let alone stand sheep at the time; it was a very steep learning curve, but I took him to the society’s show and sale, where again he was reserve champion, and he was purchased there by John Young.”
Just two years later, that same tup, Drum Major, lifted the Jacob breed championship at the Royal Highland for Skerrington Mains.
“Being a part of Drum Major’s success undeniably gave me the bug for showing,” Rena said.
Rena, who worked full-time until her retirement 14 years ago, balanced her growing sheep enterprise, which at one point included Bluefaced Leicesters too, with her position as a district nurse.
Her sheep numbers burgeoned up to 50 breeding ewes, but have since reduced to “a more manageable” level of 18 coloured and white Shetland ewes and 11 rams, predominantly for the show ring.
“I don’t know quite how I managed to juggle it all coming from a non-farming background, particularly at lambing time, but my sheep have proved so rewarding – life changing even. They are a fundamental part of my life now.”
Having mastered both the craft of halter training and showing Shetlands, as well as forging her own distinct bloodlines under the Drum prefix, Rena has won trophies and silverware too numerous to mention from the local show circuit and has lifted the championship at the Royal Highland Show, the pinnacle of Scotland’s agricultural year, on no fewer than six occasions.
Her first RHS medal winner was a Moorit (reddish brown) ram – the only coloured tup that Rena has stood Highland champion with – called Eric the Red. His success was followed in 1992, 1995 and 2002 by three of Rena’s white ewes; while her most recent winner, in 2011, was Rench Dilys, a gimmer bought as a lamb at Melton Mowbury from fellow breeder Thomas Finlay.
But although all Royal Highland Show wins are memorable, for Rena, her 1999 winner, the white ram Drum Lucky Jim, remains particularly close to heart.
“There was just something that little bit special about him,” she said.
“My first championship in 1989 was magical, but it passed in such a blur and daze.
“This memory really stays with me, we had worked so hard towards Jim’s win.
He just knew how to show himself. He had swagger and a great personality. RENA DOUGLAS
“Judges often look for Shetland sheep that are good, big and white, more ‘commercial’ if you will, and he completely fitted the bill.
“He just knew how to show himself. He had swagger and a great personality – his character really shone out in the ring.”
Jim went on to win at the Great Yorkshire and sire some top prizewinning progeny, including Drum Balbair, which in turn was reserve champion at the Great Yorkshire; whilst his full sibling Drum Lucky also went on to stand reserve champion at the Highland not long after.
Yet Rena’s involvement with the native breeds at the Royal Highland does not begin and end with the showing, as she immerses herself within the educational role of the show, particularly through her involvement in the National Sheep Association’s exhibition marquee.
Over recent years, the NSA has focused upon wool and sheep meat at the Highland and Rena, accompanied by her sheep, has been involved in everything from fashion cat walks, to playing an instrumental role in a timed challenge to shear, spin and knit a jumper from Shetland fleece.
It took Rena and her team of seven other spinners a total of 10 hours to complete and the finished garment was auctioned to raise £500 for Lochearnhead Shears.
“The Highland is so special to us on so many levels,” she said. “I love it as both a competition and social occasion to share with fellow breeders, but equally I love getting the opportunity to engage with the public and with the younger generations.
“We find that children really love the colour and amenable nature of Shetland sheep and it’s great to be able to help them to enjoy the whole show experience.”
Over recent years, Rena, who is the current Shetland Sheep Society’s area rep for Central Scotland, also begun entering the Highland’s wool competition too.
Her entries have yielded both rosettes and international interest, resulting in the direct sale and export of much of her Drum Shetland fleece to Japan, where the soft wool is in high demand for spinning.
“The Highland is such a unique event. It holds a special place in the hearts of so many of us. I can’t wait to get there each year.”