Maymont Farm welcomes Maddie, an Irish Dexter calf

Maymont welcomed a new calf this month to Maymont Farm. Maddie is a copper-colored Irish Dexter heifer who was born in December at Mad Kettle Farm in Frederick County, Virginia. She and Hampton, who has called Maymont home since 2021, quickly warmed up to each other in the pasture at Maymont Farm, which is also home to horses, goats, sheep, pigs, alpacas, chickens, ducks and a Sicilian donkey.

“Maddie seems to have adjusted quickly to her forever home at Maymont, and our young male steer named Hampton looks happy to have a new companion in the pasture,” said Parke Richeson, President and CEO of Maymont Foundation. “We are always excited to have young animals at the Farm so the community can experience the different stages in an animal’s life cycle.”

Irish Dexter cattle were bred for the rocky, hilly terrain of southern Ireland, similar to Richmond’s riverside terrain. Their small stature, hardiness and gentle temperament ensured that this heritage breed has endured as a popular choice for small farm operations.

Maymont selected the Irish Dexter breed for the Farm in a nod to the Irish heritage of James Dooley, Maymont’s original owner. After the death of his wife, Sallie May, in 1925, James Dooley’s will gave the 100-acre estate to the City of Richmond, which opened it as a public greenspace and museum in 1926.

Free parking is available at Maymont Farm, 1001 Spottswood Road, which is open from 10 am to 7 pm daily, free of charge.