Andrew R Heaton

For nearly forty years of my working life I was a dairy farmer at Peel Park, Brandsby near York with my wife Ann and two daughters. The renowned “Peel Park Holsteins” herd of 250 pedigree dairy cows was developed culminating with the farm being crowned the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s Farm of the Year Award in 2000. My interest in cattle bloodlines and pedigrees was rewarded when I became the first British Holstein Society member to achieve “Master Breeder” status twice.

When my father, Allan, passed away in 2012 I came across a number of ancestral charts he had been given thirty years previously. Having left behind the world of getting up for morning milking, and fuelled by my own interest in breeding combined with my parents’ similar fascination with sheepdog pedigrees I decided it was time to trace back my parental family lineage and in doing so came up with more revelations than the TV series Who Do You Think You Are?

Since I began to research my family tree, which has uncovered a rich seam of history, I have now been able to document and publish a number of books. The resultant feed-back has led to the discovery of a wealth of information and friendships with newly found relatives around the world.

NEW JULY 2018- Click HERE for a link to the July 2018 article on Andrew in the Northern Farmer

To see more about Mary and Allan's achievements
check out the following ISDS archive articles

Allan and Mary

Allan G Heaton

A Dream come true by Mary

Mary Heaton from North Yorkshire

Mary Heaton

Mary’s own brief biography written in 2006

“I joined the Women’s Institute when I was 14 years old and am still an active member. I married in 1950 and with my husband Allan, who was very good at training sheepdogs, travelled to local shows to compete in Sheepdog Trials.
I became very interested in the judging side and spent time sitting on with prominent judges to learn – sometimes being the timekeeper and sometimes keeping the judge’s book. This led to me being asked to judge a Novice Dog Trial in 1965, the same year in which I got my own dog and competed in a few local trials.

Over the years I have run 14 dogs with varying degrees of success, but winning my fair share of trophies. Having competed, and showing I knew what was required, gave me the opportunity to move into judging. My husband and I have travelled to New Zealand, South Africa, America, Canada, Belgium and Sweden judging and sometimes competing.
In 2000 I was greatly honoured to be the first woman (in a mainly male sport) to be invited to judge the English National Sheepdog Trial at Allerton Park, near Knaresborough, North Yorkshire. In 2002 I judged the largest Sheepdog Trial in Canada. These were both three-day events, requiring ten consecutive hours of concentration and consistent judgement to place the winners.

I have been lucky to have enjoyed my chosen hobby for so long, and have met some wonderful people from all over the world with whom to share our common interest.”