Meet the young Yorkshire shepherdess, sheep dresser and shearer who learned to clip in lockdown

Chloe said she had originally thought of a different career and had been steered away from it by advice she had received at school, and that she couldn’t be happier with the way things have turned out so far.

“Originally, I had wanted to go into veterinary nursing, but the careers woman put me off by saying there was never enough money in animals.

“I’d studied biology, photography and textiles in sixth form, but knew I didn’t want to go to university. I just knew that wasn’t for me.

“What I do now, working on a farm for a lady in Derbyshire, dressing sheep for fatstock shows in Skipton livestock market, shepherding, lambing, dosing, clipping, scanning and wool wrapping with others and travelling all around North Yorkshire, it doesn’t even feel like I’m at work when I’m out on farms. I just enjoy it.”

Chloe said the catalyst for her move into making working with sheep her career came during lockdown.

“My dad shears all of our own sheep. I’d worked in a few pubs up until lockdown but then being restricted in our movements I asked him to teach me how to clip. All of the rest I now do started from there.

“I now have my own clients for lambing time and I go clipping and wool baling with others. In 2021, I went lambing for three farms, one at Myerscough College near Preston, another at Rimington near Gisburn and then for Jane Bonsall near Ashbourne in Derbyshire.

“I will shepherd for anyone who needs me and I’m due back with Jane and over in Malham at the moment, as well as going around clipping.”

Chloe said she also enjoys working alongside others and learns from them.

“I keep going wool wrapping and clipping with lads like Will Wildman, Tom Panter and James Wilson and I’m learning all the time from them. I also help out with sheep scanner Ian Smith who goes all over North Yorkshire.

“I’ve picked up my own work through being with these guys and then word of mouth gets about and gets you even more work.”

While Chloe hasn’t yet ventured into the world of dressing sheep for the summer agricultural show season, she said she has had success so far with dressing sheep for fatstock shows and sales.

“I would enjoy it as it is very satisfying seeing the results. I have real pride in my work and Beltex-cross lambs that I dressed for a sale at Skipton in February took champion and reserve champion. Since then I’ve had a couple of farmers get in contact to help trim some of their Beltex tups for the breeding sales, so you never know where that may take me.

“I dressed about 20 last year, mainly for the Christmas primestock shows. I’m only at the early stages of sheep dressing but I’m learning fast and to go to Skipton and then see what you’ve dressed do well is just great.”

Chloe said getting sheep prepped is an important part of selling quality stock.

“You want your animals to look the best they can. To do that they need to be properly washed. I use water and soda crystals.

“It is vital to get all of the dirt out of the fleece and make sure they are really clean.

“Then it is important to let them dry before carding out the wool to create this good looking fleece and to get rid of all the rough bits with the trimmers and keep going over until you’ve got it how you want it to look.”

Chloe’s client list is building, as is her work with other shearers, with sheep scanning and with wool wrapping.

She said she enjoys being around the others and also her own individual clients.

“I keep getting asked back to my regular clients like Jane in Derbyshire where I’m back again this week to take on some more shearing. My life is just full of stuff about sheep all the time and it has brought me so many new friends too.

“My year now sets off with scanning, going around with Ian, then I’m into lambing season, then the shearing time and wool wrapping comes along and then dressing sheep for shows.

“I also weigh lambs and there’s always some form of shepherding needed.

“I had six months working for another employer totally removed from dealing with sheep about a year ago, which was by way of a break while I built up my sheep work, but I missed being out and about so much. This is now definitely my way of life for the future.”

Chloe said she has also started her own flock of Blue Texels.

“I bought six from Skipton in September last year. I put them into lamb and they lambed in spring. They gave me 11 lambs, nine of them tups, so I’ll be selling those for breeding and keeping the two gimmers.

“I’ll be dressing them well for this year’s sales.”

Chloe said her more imminent appearance anywhere is due to be in Harrogate next week.

“I’m working at the Great Yorkshire Show for the week helping out the shearers by sorting and handling the sheep through James Wilson.

“I’ve also put my name forward for the competition as well, so we’ll see how that goes.

“I’m nowhere near as fast as those who have been doing it for ages, but I’m going to give it a go. It will be fun trying if nothing else.”