South Yorkshire farm celebrates its newest rare animal with tribute to farmer Will

Cannon Hall Farm, Cawthorne, is attempting to increase the number of shire horses across the UK – and had shied away from breeding its mares after a tragedy two years ago saw them lose their beloved mare Poppy and her foal Chester.

However, the farm team decided to try one more time and have now successfully welcomed Orchid’s new baby foal.

He is just more than one week old and the farm has been considering many name suggestions, including ones from children at home who submitted many pictures in his honour.

Farmer Robert Nicholson, whose family run the attraction and open farm, said: “The kids brought forward some amazing name suggestions – as did our fans.

“However, we kept circling back to one important point.

“We are in a time of adversity like no other – and when we reflect here we realise that human kindness can always be found.

“We decided to call him Will after Will Roe, a local farmer, who helped farmer Roger so much after his father died just a few months after they moved to Cannon Hall Farm.”

Roger Nicholson moved to Cannon Hall Farm when he was aged just 16, with his dad.

Unfortunately within six months, his father died suddenly, and Roger had to leave school to take over the farm full time.

Richard Nicholson, one of Roger’s three sons, alongside Robert and David, said: “Will, or Uncle Will, as we came to know him, was one of the first people to knock on the door to offer help and reassure Roger that things would be okay.

“Roger often tells us that he is forever in Will’s debt for the companionship and support he received from him over the years.

“We can think of no finer name, and no finer tribute, than to name our newest foal in his honour.”

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