The Wyn-Harris family have been breeding high performance sheep for nearly sixty years.

Tim established the stud in 1968 and ran it for fifteen years. Steve took over in 1983 and ran it for the next forty years and since 2023, Jason and Rosa have been in charge.

During the mid-1960’s growing out of frustration with the Romneys of the day, Border Leicester rams were put across the Romney flock. Heartened by the lift in performance and the easier care of the cross bred progeny, when the Coopworth Breed Society was formed in 1968, the Marlow stud was established.

Right from the beginning, the Coopworth Society required objective performance recording with selection and culling based on that measured performance.

Early Marlow objectives were improved reproduction and mothering ability, growth and wool weight. Selection for meat yield was added and a strict policy of culling for faults and conformation followed.

Then in 2000 the breeding program for Facial Eczema Resistance using Ramguard selected rams was begun. Since 2010, no ram has been used that hasn’t passed nil with the Ramguard test at .6 or higher.

In recent years a strong focus has been on breeding for FEC or worm resistance but with an eye also on resilience. The genetic trend lines show a dramatic lift in this trait and that has been reflected in a significant reduction on drenching of young stock. No adult sheep are drenched.

Marlow Genetics now has sheep at the top of SIL’s NProve rankings with a high degree of resistance to both FE and worms.