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Original
Article About Dexters
"Representation
of Dexters on the Internet"
by John Paterson
An extract from "Representing Rare Breeds on the
Internet: The Case of Dexter Cattle" - from Windows on a Changing World:
Proceedings of the 22nd New Zealand Geographical Society Conference,
July 2003, pages 304-308
There are 12 themes apparent from the Internet text and images referring to
Dexter cattle (Table 3). Some of these refer to traditional characteristics
of the breed. Others refer to the Dexter as an agricultural commodity or as
food for humans. In contrast, there are also competing or contradictory
themes arising from text and images that portray Dexters as individual
subjectivities, as sentient and sensitive animals in interaction and having
relationships with people.
Table 3. Themes in Internet Representations of
Dexters
Ancient
– Some of the material on the Internet that refers to Dexters
emphasises or draws on the idea that they are an ancient breed, a breed of
Celtic origins with a long history and which retains similarity to early
cattle breeds. For example, Bede’s World, the Museum of Early Medieval
Northumbria at Jarrow, near Newcastle (UK), has developed a farm on which
reconstructions occur of medieval Anglo-Saxon farming. Dexters are used
there as draft animals (for images, see
www.southshields-sanddancers.co.uk/visit3.htm). Another website explains
that “The Dexter breed is the closest modern equivalent in size to
archaeological specimens from the late Iron Age to early Post-Medieval
periods” (www.rentapeasant.fsnet.co.uk/livestock.html).
Rent-a-Peasant is a small part-time business set up by two archaeologists
who offer peasants for hire, with accompanying animals, to historic
monuments, festivals, parties and schools. As an ancient breed, the Dexter
has value and interest.
Rare – The
Dexter has a history as a rare breed but in a number of countries is now
treated as no longer endangered. The NZ Rare Breeds Conservation Society is
one organisation that continues to list Dexters as “rare” (www.rarebreeds.co.nz/dexter.html).
The web-sites of some Dexter breeders also refer to Dexters primarily as a
rare breed. For example, one Canadian farm with Dexters presents itself as
follows: “Through the breeding and conservation work with heritage and rare
breeds of livestock, Cowichan Bay Farm has helped critically endangered
domestic farm breeds move away from the danger of extinction” (www.cowichanbayfarm.com).
Small –
This would be the most common referent to Dexters, both on and off the
Internet. The website of Dexter Cattle Australia lists “Naturally Small” as
one of the three key characteristics of the breed (http://dexter.une.edu.au/small.htm).
A newspaper article on a UK website claims that the Dexter is “the smallest
of all British breeds and possibly the smallest breed of cattle worldwide”
(www.sovereignty.org.uk/features/footnmouth/dexter1.html).
The phrase, “small cattle for smallholders” is commonly used on the Internet
sites of Dexter cattle organisations and Dexter breeders.
Conservation Grazer
- In the UK in the 1990s, local authorities decided to manage areas of moor
and heath with conservation grazing. The combination of the Dexter’s three
qualities of “ancient”, “rare” and “small” played an important role in their
choice for this role. The website of Cannock Chase Council in Staffordshire
explains: “Dexters are similar to cows that would have been kept by the
people that lived at Castle Ring Iron Age Hill Fort … that the Countryside
Service manages. As well as this historical link, on a public site a
Dexter’s small size and even nature makes it less scary than other cattle” (www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/cannockchase/dexters.htm)
(also see
www.rutlandwater.u-net.com/rw/RW_recent.htm and
www.hallengineering.co.uk/peter.html). The “conservation” label provides
another important meaning to Dexter on the Internet and enhances its value.
Show Animal
– The Dexter’s long history as a breed and its distinctive smallness also
provide the basis for it as a show animal. The quality of a Dexter can be
measured by what show judges award it. The websites of Dexter breeders often
contain photos of prize-winning animals as well as lists of show successes.
Some Dexter studs base their reputations on success in the show-ring (www.brp.com.au
and http://dextercattle.net are two
examples) and Dexter cattle organisation websites regularly record show
results (e.g.,
www.dextercattlesociety.co.uk and
www.dextercattle.org).
Breeding Stock
- Dexters are a commodity with an economic value based on their ability to
breed more Dexters. Many Dexter breeders advertise their stock for sale on
the Internet, referring to their breeding value. This is particularly
emphasised in images and text referring to Dexter bulls (e.g.,
www.rarebreeds.co.nz/charming.html and
www.iland.net/~ddalton).
Commercial Livestock
– Some websites refer to the Dexter as a recovered rare breed that now has
to make its way as a commercial cattle breed. The language of a commodified
commercial agriculture is applied to the animal: “We feel the breed needs to
maintain a reasonable size and frame (without losing its Dexter
characteristics), in order to sustain its commercial viability. With this in
mind our aim is to produce a consistent Dexter with good beefing qualities
(without sacrificing their milking qualities) and capable of being finished
at grass by the age of thirty months” (www.brambledeldexters.co.uk/us.html).
Dexter Milk
– Some material on the Internet refers to the milk produced by Dexters – it
is the milk that is the primary meaning of the breed or animal. For example,
Dexters are presented as having a history as a commercial dairy animal (www.telusplanet.net/public/
hillside/longD.htm), are seen to be the ideal house cow (www.crazyforcows.com/fow/fow17.shtml)
and are praised for their ability to nurse more than one calf (www.dextercattlesociety.co.uk/breed.shtml#milk).
Dexter Beef
– Many Dexter breeders eat the beef from their own animals (www.cattle-today.com/Dexter.htm).
Some Dexter websites are aimed primarily at marketing Dexter beef, not
selling breeding stock. For example, Steve Rawlings provides potential
customers with information about the production and processing of his Dexter
beef, emphasising “fresh home grown beef, produced in a traditional manner”
(www.dexterbeef.co.uk). Another
site describes Dexter beef as “the best you can buy – small cuts, tender,
marbled, and low-fat” (www.rarebreeds.co.nz/ellenpark.html).
Personality
– A Dexter can be a mischievous and lovable personality. He or she can be
cute, strong-minded, and even cunning. The home page of the NZ Dexter Cattle
Society’s website shows a person touching noses with a Dexter cow - “Fall in
love with a Dexter - short on size, long on history” (www.dexter-cattle.co.nz).
Here the emphasis is on the individual animal-human relationship, not
(initially) the Dexter’s functional, economic or food-producing qualities.
Dexters are often described as “gentle” (www.heritage-oaks.com/cattle.htm)
and photos show them as cute and as individual and distinctive characters (www.thorfordhall.co.uk/dexters).
Such references to personality and character make animals individuals, and
this individuation lends itself to entering into relationship. Such
relationships in turn give Dexters a status beyond an agricultural commodity
and certainly beyond being food.
Pet – Dexters have
been described as “the ideal family pet” (www.morningstarranch.net/aboutme.htm)
and as “great with kids” (http://happyhoofs.tripod.com/about.htm).
The latter, a US breeder confesses: “Most [of our Dexter herd] are pets. We
have not butchered any of our Dexters, and try not to talk about BEEF in
front of them! Hoping they don’t recognize the aroma of larger cousins being
BBQ’ed, we say ‘Yum... chicken’ while cooking outside” (http://happyhoofs.tripod.com/
about.htm). To call an animal a pet is to express a special relationship
between the animal and the person. That relationship depends upon ascribing
individual subjectivity to the animal. The relationship contributes to the
constitution of the identity of both the person and the animal. It also
contributes to the emotional constitution of the smallholding as “place”.
Companion and Friend
- To take it a step further, some Dexters can become companions or friends,
and this too has expression on the Internet. At the height of the foot and
mouth epidemic in the UK in 2001, Bill and Sue Osborne moved into a trailer
so they could be near their Dexter herd. Sue wrote the following to explain
her feelings about her cattle: ‘What is a Dexter? I’ll try to answer: A
Dexter is a way of life... your puppy, kitten, rabbit, hamster, is my
Dexter. A small black (or red) bundle of mischief, when a calf. And when
grown up, she or he is a friend, a confidante, and someone who gives love
and trust unconditionally” (www.sovereignty.org.uk/features/footnmouth/dexter1.html).
To befriend an animal, or to find yourself befriended by one, entails moral
obligations that can result in significant expressions of that friendship.
Conclusion
The range of themes referring to Dexters on the Internet demonstrates why
the Dexter is the best example of a recovered rare breed. The Dexter is a
unique bundle of attributes which makes it particularly appropriate for
rural smallholdings. The breed’s traditional qualities make it unique. The
key characteristic of smallness makes Dexters easier to handle, and large
farm facilities are not needed. Add their ancient Celtic origins and their
historical rarity – these add fascination along with an ethical dimension –
shouldn’t they be preserved? Their dual-purpose flexibility (they can be
bred to emphasise milk or beef or both) means that they are able to fit
flexibly into the smallholding sector. Add the readiness for people to
ascribe character and personality to them, and to enter into meaningful
relationship, and you have an even more interesting and satisfying animal
for the smallholder.
But this range of themes can easily lead to confusion. What is a “good”
Dexter? There are different answers depending on the theme being drawn upon.
For example, to breed the “true” ancient or rare breed Dexter requires a
horned animal. By contrast, it is highly desirable for a Dexter as a beef
animal or as a child’s pet to have no horns. Further-more, a good show
animal conforms to the breed standard, including having a coat of solid
colour. But colour is of no significance to the Dexter as a beef animal, or
as a human companion.
This survey of how Dexters are presented on the Internet illustrates a more
general point about rural smallholding from the perspective of contemporary
animal geographies. On smallholdings the complexity of animal domestication
means that often animals can be both beloved companions and eaten for a meal
(Holloway, 2001, 298). In more theoretical terms, animal bodies, both alive
and dead, come into close proximity to the people who use them.
Smallholders, along with “big farmers” and other groups in society, can hold
multiple and contradictory attitudes towards the same animal. But what is
perhaps unique is that this is central to the constitution of the
smallholding as place (ibid.). The themes and images of Dexters on
the Internet reflect this constitution, and contribute towards its
reproduction.
Reference
Holloway, Lewis, 2001: "Pets and protein: placing domestic livestock on
hobby-farms in England and Wales", Journal of Rural Studies, 17, pp
293-307.
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