Fairmount Farms
English Shepherds bred by Mildred Schoeman
Mildred Schoeman bred English Shepherds, as well as other breeds such as Border Collies, under the kennel name of “Fairmount Farms” for many decades. The flyer below was published in the 1970s- 1980s, advertising her dogs. The Schoeman dogs were not registered and whatever records ere kept were lost when Mildred passed away several years ago.
The classifieds ads to the right, from a 1959 copy of Progressive Farming, highlight several English Shepherd breeders in Iowa at that time. Quite a few breeders bred both English Shepherds and other herding breeds, though Highview kennel (a neighbor and competitor to Fairmount) highlighted the fact that they only bred English Shepherds; the English Shepherds were advertised as “guaranteed heel-drivers”.
Text from the flyer:
“This is the dog which so nobly guarded the homes and flocks of our grandfathers. The dog that was the faithful companion of countless generations past. It is one of the oldest breeds in existence, its origin becoming lost in the haze of history. While not recognized by the American Kennel Club, it is nevertheless probably one of the pureset and most uniform strains we have today…
Somewhat above medium in size, strong and muscularly built, it is capable of withstanding the hardest kind of service. Yet, with all, it possesses the most docile and kindliest of dispositions, in addition to a remarkable degree of intelligence. Unlike so many breeds of today, it has retained its original courage down the years and, therefore, is less timid and more easily trained than the more trepid kinds. In fact we do not know of any one who has owned a good English Shepherd who would consider any other breed for general farm purposes.
If you desire a working dog you can take pride in, one that at the same time will prove a faithful companion for your children, the English Shepherd should be your choice.”