The Farmers Mart Aug-Sep 2019 - Issue 64 | Page 52

52 NEW LAITHE FARM
AUG/SEP 2019 • farmers-mart.co.uk
SHEEPDOGS, CATTLE, SHEEP AND A
SHORT FILM SUCCESS AT NEW LAITHE
CHRIS Berry talks with Amos Dewhirst at
Winterburn, near Gargrave.
Running his own farm operation, produc-
ing and providing stock for an upwardly
mobile meat company, training owners
as well as their dogs, appearing on TV and
in a film. Life is certainly not dull for Amos
Dewhirst of New Laithe Farm, Winterburn
near Gargrave, where he finally took on a
farm after five decades of waiting, trying
and hoping seven years ago.
‘I’ve always said I don’t know who
mapped my life out but I’ve been very
fortunate. At times I’ve been so wrapped up
in what I do that I haven’t realised I’ve been
making a living. I may never have made a
lot of money but I like to think I’ve earned
respect.’
While Amos is probably best known for
his sheepdogs, including breeding and
training them, he has also carved out a
niche in sticking with native breeds of
sheep and cattle. On his 119 acres at New
Laithe he runs a flock of 160-170 Swaledale
ewes and a small flock of Bluefaced
Leicesters producing North of England
Mules. Amos’ wife Kathryn has Herdwicks
and his daughter Ali (Alison), who has
two shoe shops, has had Balwen Welsh
Mountain ewes that Amos regards as ideal
for training the dogs.
‘The Balwen are light, move quickly and
never give in, and they are just right for the
London market that Swaledale Foods, for
whom I produce and buy other stock, are
aiming at. I’ve also recently started with
a few Kerry Hills via a contact with Nicky
Burrows of Dunstarn Farm, Adel near Leeds.
Nicky started using my Bluefaced Leicester
tup and although she was thinking of buying
a tup from me I felt it would be better if I
worked with her. I now also clip her sheep
at the Great Yorkshire Show. We’re from
totally different backgrounds and we’ve
become the best of friends.’
‘We also have a small herd of Dexter
cattle with currently 10 suckler cows and
followers. We’ve bought an Australian
Lowline bull. I call them belt buckle cattle
because they only come to waist high but
they will cross on to the Dexter and we’ve
just had our first crop of Lowline calves.
Dexters are in demand through Swaledale
Foods down in London. Every chef’s
favourite beef is Dexter and there’s no
better animal at converting forage to beef
than the Dexter or the Dexter X Lowline.
Galloways are also proving popular. What
we don’t produce at New Laithe I buy in
from elsewhere for Swaledale Foods run by
Jorge Thomas. It’s all about marbling.’
‘From six years old I was determined I
was going to have a farm of my own and
Kathryn and I finally got the tenancy here
after putting in for dozens over the years.
I’ve worked on farms and was a farm
manager on a farm in Long Preston. I moved
into Lancashire at one time when I worked
for a cattle dealer. I didn’t realise how much
I would learn there and it has stood me
in good stead. After that I ran a collection
centre for Stanfords butchers in Skipton
and since then I’ve been buying and sup-
plying Jorge. I’ve only ever put in for one
job in my life as a farm lad and everything
else has followed on. It’s as though my life
has been mapped out for me.’
Amos, whose real name is James,
confesses to never having moved very far.
He was born in Lothersdale and his parents
were weavers in Wilson’s Mill. He puts his
love of dogs and his expertise with them
down to ‘a hobby that got out of hand’ but
he’s pleased it did and wouldn’t be without
them.
‘I’d knocked about on a few farms as a
kid. I had a pup given because nobody
else wanted it when I was 10 years old. I
sold it for £40 when I was 12 in about 1966.
That was a lot of money in those days and
a fortune for a lad still in primary school,
but the pup was barking all day and I was
advised to sell it. I replaced it with another
nowhere near as good so sold that by the
time I was 13 and in 1968 bought my first
registered sheepdog.’
‘I’d only had this dog about a year and
there was a lot of interest in it. That just
sparked me from there. I’m now into my
eighth generation of my own breeding. That
first one I had was called Tweed and I’ve
had a lot called Tweed since. I’ve had that
many I’ve duplicated names several times.
With that first one it was a question of who
taught who. I didn’t realise how good it was.
I’ve always said I’ve been self-taught when it
comes to sheepdog training but I may have
been Tweed taught when I think about it.’
‘I ran my first sheepdog trial when I was
15-16 and I’ve been trialling for the past 50
years since, although I don’t do many open
trials these days as I love my nursery trials
with young dogs in October. When I went to
college at Newton Rigg I said I wouldn’t go
unless I could take my dog.’
Amos has been a member of Trawden
Sheepdog Society for many years and has
sold dogs for over £2000 including one at a
sale for £2800. He’s never appeared on One
Man & His Dog but his dogs have, including
another called Tweed who he sold privately
for £2000.
‘It was in the early 90s and no-one had
ever sold at that price. My phone was red
hot, but it’s not really about the money.
I’ve made an awful lot of friends all around
the country through my dogs and training
sheepdogs - and their owners! There really
isn’t a better pastime than spending time
with a dog and the number of people you
meet through having one is amazing.’
‘I’ve trained sheepdogs for farmers for
years and I’ve found you always end up
training the owner as well. I took part in the
TV programme Our Dancing Town and the
choreographer came to the farm. We were
filmed with me trying to train him to run
one of my dogs. That brought about a light
bulb moment for me. If I could train him
why not train the British public?’
Amos now runs clinics training sheepdogs
and their owners from every walk of life.
‘I have never had a more satisfying
job. People come with a dog that is just a
complete idiot. After a couple of lessons,
the transformation is unbelievable. If they
have sheep at home I give them a little
homework. I knew I could train the dogs
and the farmers, but I didn’t know about the
handlers. It’s very satisfying.’
Amos’ latest venture is the showing of
a short film called Francis of Fell End. He
plays Francis, the owner of a sheepdog.
I’ll say no more. Just watch it. It is very
moving.
‘Milethia, the lady who asked me to do it
had seen me on the dancing programme
and was adamant the film was going to
win its category and it did. It is now being
played at film festivals.’
Amos and Kathryn have two grown
up children – Steven and Ali – and their
grandchildren provide Amos with even
more fun.
‘They’re often here asking me whether
they can go shepherding. I love it. It’s a
grand life.’