The British Simmental Review 2022

FAREWELL TO DEAR FRIENDS
IAN STEELE
BLAKEWELL HERD
5 th December 1946 – 23 rd January 2022
Ian William Steele travelled a less than usual route into
the Simmental breed. Born and brought up in the
city of Hull, son of William and Maude and brother of
Patricia and Margaret, his early life passions were football
and motor vehicles. This saw him leave school to take up
an apprenticeship with Hull Corporation and train as a
fitter on the buses.
Life takes twists and turns that can never be foreseen and
through a friend he met Margaret Douglas, the eldest
daughter of a farmer from Easington, a village on the
coast, 20 miles from Hull. As they say, one thing leads to
another and Ian and Margaret were married on the 23 rd
March 1968 and set up home on Blakewell Farm going
on to have two sons, Andrew and Barry. Shortly after
the marriage, a decision needed to be made; should Ian
continue to commute to Hull to work or should he change
direction and start to work on the farm, which at the time
carried a dairy herd, a pig breeding and finishing herd,
laying hens and an arable enterprise. This was the start of
his farming life, working alongside Margaret’s father and
uncle and explains why the business has always traded as F
Douglas & Sons.
Ian and Margaret’s first foray into the Simmental breed
occurred in 1992 when purchasing Longfield Cindy from
Ken Jobling’s sale in the same area of Holderness. That
same year, they joined the Simmental Society and their
30 years association with the breed had started. Later
additions included females from the Island, Brinkton,
Salisbury, Sterling, Solway and Greenside herds.
Ian made many friends through Simmental cattle. Shows
such as Driffield, Great Yorkshire, North Yorkshire,
Northumberland and Lincolnshire were successfully
attended regularly throughout the 90’s and early 2000’s.
It was always nice to come away with a few rosettes
and they certainly had their fair share from animals such
as Blakewell April’s Glory and Blakewell Evening Kiss.
Ian always referred to these years as the best years for
showing due to the friendships forged and the banter that
he enjoyed so much. On the back of this, successful sales
came at Carlisle on a regular basis as well as supporting
sales at Thirsk, Newark and Skipton.
Ian took particular pleasure from animals he sold going
on to be successful for other breeders. Never really one
for the limelight, he loved it when his granddaughters
were old enough to get involved with the cattle. He
encouraged them into the show ring and was at his
happiest watching proudly from the edge, always ready
to help out if a heifer misbehaved.
It’s probably fair to say that Blakewell animals always
bred better than they sold. Ian loved his cattle and their
future breeding potential was paramount – showing was
fun, a holiday away from the farm, a chance to catch up
with friends. Rosettes were a bonus not a priority. All the
cattle were genuine and their health was his main priority.
Indeed, the Blakewell herd would be one of the first
in the Simmental breed to gain Elite Health Status and
this guaranteed a ready market for his heifers, if not for
pedigree or commercial use, then as embryo recipients.
No one ever bought a Blakewell animal not knowing that
should anything go awry, Ian would be more than fair.
Since Ian passed away, we have been overwhelmed with
the messages from fellow breeders and friends within the
Simmental community. The most common description of
Ian that we receive is that he was a Gentleman. That’s not
a bad way to be remembered and as Ian himself may have
said, “It’ll do”.
The Review 2022 | 73