Origin

 

One of the oldest of the English breeds of sheep is the Southdown,originating on the South Down Hills of Sussex County, England. These small sheep were known for their extreme hardiness and produced a carcass with tenderness and flavor unmatched by any other breed.In 1780, John Ellman began to standardize the breed.

These small southdowns grew in popularity  and population until World War I.However by World War II the demand for larger cuts of meat had almost forced the breed into extinction. The small Southdowns couldn't compete with the consumer demand, which ultimately led to the larger,leggier Southdowns of today. No one at the time had the foresight that the small Southdown had a place in the miniature world.  In 1986 Robert Mock began to search for miniature sheep. They were hard to find  but four years later he found two small flocks. After finding these flocks and promoting them as minatures, others were found in various parts of the country which broadened the gene pool. In order to distinguish these small sheep from today's larger Southdowns, Mr Mock named them Olde English "Babydoll" Southdowns. In order to insure that the lines were kept pure the Olde English "Babydoll" Registry was formed(1991).Only adults two years and older were accepted so they could be judged against the original conformation standards and heights then verified by a veternarian. The foundation flock was then established and the registry closed. The process of registering lamb crops from the original foundation flock began. The registry now celebrates many years of success with the presevation of the Babydolls.