Bakewell, Robert (1725–1795)

British pioneer improver of farm livestock. From his home in Leicestershire, England, he developed the Dishley or New Leicester breed of sheep and worked on raising the beef-producing qualities of Longhorn cattle.

Bakewell's work was in response to a general requirement for stock that would fatten to greater weights at an earlier age and at less cost. His method was to select animals that possessed at least some of the desired characteristics, and mate the offspring that inherited the same features with near relatives in order to fix the type. Known as ‘breeding in and in’, the technique was adopted widely. Bakewell's Longhorns found less favour because they were outshone by the rapidly emerging Shorthorns, but his New Leicesters proved popular as crosses to improve other native breeds of sheep.