While this means that globally the gene pool remains quite large Mr Young

While this means that globally the gene pool remains quite large, Mr Young says it implies a lack of reverence for the species. ” It would be most unfortunate for the UK to lose its position as the prime source of quality Shire horses simply because our best bloodlines had been sold abroad to the highest bidder,” he said.The Shire Horse Society was formed in 1878 as a charitable organisation that aims to promote the breed world wide. Experts warn that with the birth of only 150 filly foals last year, there are not enough mares to replace those dying from old age.Ken Young, a council member of the Shire Horse Society and academic at the University of Warwick, believes that with many of the people who maintained the breed through the 1960s and 1970s now approaching old age, no one has stepped up to replace them. He said: “Their children have moved off the land and in many cases their farms are being sold off.”A demise of small breweries is also believed to be a contributing factor in what was once a major form of Shire horse employment. South London-based Young’s used Shire horses to haul kegs at their Wandsworth brewery until just a few fears ago.The current situation could have been avoided, experts believe, if Britain had followed the example of France – a country that has set up national studs to ensure the survival of their native breeds with the top stallions being maintained by state funding.In contrast, many British champion stallions have been sold abroad by breeders to try to make ends meet. Having served the country at war and at work – carrying armoured knights to battle and ploughing the land – the Shire horse, with its characteristically powerful legs and hooves fringed with silky white hair, has become a symbol of Britain’s heritage.
But with the number of mares in Britain dropping by a third since 1995, the medieval “Great Horse” that first trod on English soil when it arrived with William the Conqueror in 1066, could become a dying breed.A gentle giant among horses, the Shire can weigh up to a ton and stands between 16.2 and 18 hands high.

In colours ranging from bay and brown to grey and black, the imposing creature was a familiar sight across the British landscape during its heyday in the 1800s.After the First World War, numbers declined but slowly as lorries and tractors were inefficient and beyond the means of many. But by the late 1950s the Shire horse population of over one million had dwindled to a few thousand along with its reputation as a powerful force in agriculture and commerce.The current decline in numbers – its most noticeable since the Second World War – is believed to be due to a reduction in the number of small farms across Britain. Police foiled an attempted robbery of £40 million worth of cash and precious metals at Heathrow Airport today. “It is appalling that, in the 21st century, Asian and black people still have to prove that they are as good as, if not better, than their white counterparts.

It seems that the glass ceiling has now turned into a titanium ceiling. Yet again, we have able, skilled and talented individuals who have to overcome more obstacles than ever before.”Oba Nsugbe, QC, a leading black barrister and former member of the Bar Council’s race relations committee, says: “Without commenting on the facts of the case, it does serve as a reminder that it’s important to act in a proactive way in order to keep procedures and structures in an institution, even one as respected as SOAS, under constant review, to ensure that unfairness to an individual does not result in discrimination by way of gender, race, sexual orientation or disability.”. It had already brought Dr Banda’s salary into line with that of her colleague and had offered to compensate Dr Banda in respect of the past difference in pay.”Dr Banda’s experience has provoked concern among race-equality campaigners. Raj Joshi, vice-chairman of the Society of Black Lawyers, says that the case illustrates the reality of the glass ceiling that ethnic-minority people encounter in the workplace. In a written statement, SOAS says that it is pleased to have reached an agreement with Dr Banda. But adds: “SOAS had admitted well before the start of the legal proceedings that, as a result of a mistake in the setting of the starting salary of one of Dr Banda’s colleagues, it had in the past unwittingly breached its obligations to Dr Banda under the equal pay and race relations legislation.