Durham Ox

The Durham Ox (March 1796 – 15 April 1807) was a steer who became famous in the early 19th century for his shape, size and weight.

The animal was born in March 1796 and was bred by Charles Colling of Ketton Hall, Brafferton in County Durham, north east England.

[1] Colling, together with his brother Robert, who farmed at nearby Barmpton, was a pioneer of the cattle-breeding movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Whilst his size and weight partially account for the admiration he attracted, he was also regarded as a particularly fine and well-proportioned example of his type, at a time when the concept of selective breeding for specific characteristics was becoming established in agriculture.

[4] China and porcelain were decorated with pictures of the ox, including a range of blue and white Staffordshire pottery.