Hazel Clarke

[Mark Bowles]

HAZEL CLARKE - ASHIEBURN DEXTERS

Hazel Clarke, who was Dexter Cattle Society President Elect 2000 – 2001, died peacefully in her sleep on December 7th 2006, at the tragically young age of 52 after a long and incredibly brave battle, against breast cancer.

Hazel was a tremendous ambassador for the Dexter. She worked very hard for the Scottish Group, raising the profile of the breed in Scotland, by holding open days to attract new breeders, appearing in several articles in the local press and on the BBC Landward programme.

Most of all she did an excellent job selling Dexter Beef, opening a butchers shop in the village at Ancrum to sell her home produced beef, attending farmers markets and promoting all aspects of the Dexter at local shows.

Farming crept up slowly on Hazel. When she moved from London to Scotland, she purchased her first Dexters from Jane Paynter’s reduction sale. Knotting Saradale 4th (still in the herd at the ripe old age of 23!) and Jacourt Rock (Rosie), who along with her daughter, Ashieburn Appley-Dappley and other home-bred stock, she showed with great success both in Scotland and the North of England.

Despite still receiving treatment for cancer, Hazel was the only Scottish exhibitor to make the long journey south with Rosie and her calf to the World Congress Show at Cirencester in 1998.
More cattle were carefully sourced by Hazel from the length and breadth of the UK, and the move from Ashieburn to Nether Stewarton allowed her to build up one of the biggest Dexter herds in the country. After her family, it would be fair to say that Hazel lived for her little black cows.

Hazel’s absolute honesty and down to earth common sense made her an extremely valuable member of the Dexter Council from 1998 to 2001. She was prepared to take on and complete difficult tasks, such as the Group Constitution and it was sad that the combination of the upheavals within the Society in 2001 and Hazel’s delicate state of health robbed us of an excellent President.

Hazel was, in all senses of the word, a woman of many parts, a devoted mother and clever homemaker, an accomplished horsewoman, skilful seamstress and knowledgeable gardener. There are so many ways in which her family and friends will remember her, but most of all her family say that she would like to be remembered as a “farmer”, something which she was very proud to be.

Julian

[AlastairC]

I had the great privilege to deal with Hazel over the last two years and two of my young ladies have an Ashieburn prefix. In all my dealings with her I was treated with the great gentleness and kindness despite my almost total ignorance and I never got a hint that Hazel was quite so well renowned in the Society.
I am certain that she will be much missed but her Ashieburn stock, created by her long term skill and expertise in the breeding of Dexters will act as a fitting memorial for generations.

A very sad Alastair

[moomin]

I am so sorry to hear this sad news. I can only reiterate what has been said above and offer my condolences to her family.
Hazel is a great loss to the breed, we will miss her very much.