#2

Last year (October 2025), we had to say goodbye to our oldest sheep, Bes (pictured), and it was incredibly tough. She lived to be almost 17; that is a grand age for a sheep. We experienced so much together over the years. Bes was our very first sheep, and she arrived with her son, Bommel (who was about six months old at the time). We had Bommel castrated so that he could stay with us. Bommel followed his mother everywhere; they were inseparable. From day one, Bes was the leader of the flock, a position she held right up until she passed away. Bes’s mother was a Zwartbles (a breed with a distinctive white blaze); she always stood a head taller than the rest of the flock and was always at the front, with little Bes trotting right beside her. It seems Bes must have learned that leadership trait from her mother early on. Ironically, good old Bes survived the bluetongue virus (2023), but sadly, her son Bommel did not.

Character and Breed

Bes was incredibly sweet, not just to us, but to all the other sheep. She looked after every newcomer like an adoptive mother. She never butted heads with the others, always had her fixed spot at the feeding trough, and was always the first to come running when we arrived. She absolutely loved having her head scratched and simply couldn’t get enough of it. Even when she needed a hoof trim, she would stand perfectly still. And whenever we took a photo, she would pose for the camera like a natural-born supermodel, haha! She had such a sweet expression, as if she was always smiling.

Best Friends

Bes was friends with the whole flock, but her very best friend was Freddie (who was also the mother of two sheep born here). You could see that they were the seniors of the group: calm, observing everything from a distance, and always leading the way.

Forever in our Heart

Bes will always have a special place in our hearts. She helped us through many difficult times. During the COVID period, our sheep meant the world to us, and when many of our flock sadly passed away due to the aftermath of the bluetongue virus, she was our rock. Even afterwards, she helped us pull through. It felt as though she instinctively connected our original little group with the new arrivals. We miss her.