The angora goat is a very ancient breed with records of the use of goat hair used for clothing found as early as the 14c BC. Many centuries after that there is a record of goats trekked to Ankara by Suleiman Shah, when fleeing Ghengis Khan. In 1550 a Dutchman discovered the goats and began to generate a demand for their fleece and in 1554 a pair of angora goats “were presented to the Pope in Rome”.

Mohair the name given to the fleece of these goats is derived from the word Muhaya meaning cloth of bright lustrous goat hair. The Sultan of Turkey placed a ban on the export of raw fleece and for several centuries the fleece and goats were incarcerated in Turkey.

Eventually in the 19c angora goats were imported from Turkey to Texas and South Africa. Imports to Australasia occurred during the 20c and the angora goat did not reach the UK until 1981.

Imports of angora goats to the UK were originally from Australasia then a few years later from Canada. Subsequently some South African bloodlines have been imported from Spain and France. The angora goat produces mohair at the rate of 2.5cm (1”) a month. Mohair is a soft, lustrous and hard wearing fibre, which can be used in fashion garments, fabrics, textiles and yarns. Mohair is shorn from goats twice a year, at approximately six month intervals.