The Border Cheviot, also known as the South Country Cheviot, is a breed

Breed

A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...

 of domesticated sheep from the UK. It is native to the Cheviot Hills between Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 and England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. Recognized as early as 1372, the breed is reported to have developed from sheep that swam ashore from shipwrecked Spanish ships that fled northward after the defeat of the Armada. This breed is prized for its wool but bred primarily for meat.

Characteristics

The Cheviot is a distinctive white-faced sheep, with a wool-free face and legs, pricked ears, black muzzle and black feet. It is a very alert and active sheep. Cheviot wool has a distinctive helical crimp, which gives it that highly desirable resilience. The fleece should be dense and firm with no kemp or coloured hair. The rams can have horns.

External links

• cheviotsheep.org (U.K.)
• American Cheviot Sheep Society