A Swaledale Ram named Private Derby as celebrated in the song "The Derby Ram", is used as the mascot for the Mercian Regiment. Private Derby, a Swaledale ram, is the official mascot of the Mercian Regiment. He was the mascot of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment which inherited Private Derby from a predecessor regiment, the Sherwood Foresters and which in turn inherited him from The 95th Derbyshire Regiment. Private Derby became the mascot of the Mercian Regiment when it was formed on 1 September 2007 with the amalgamation of the Worchestershire and Sherwood Foresters with the Staffordshire and Cheshire regiments. The ram mascot is a central part of the Regiment's history and tradition and its association with the home counties of its predecessor regiments. It is a symbol of pride for the Regiment and is extremely popular with the public when it makes appearances.