Tuesday, August 26, 2008

To Show, or Not to Show...

I think I have a few Shetland people that visit this blog; I have a question for you all, I know Mim has the same problem I do with her location, no one around here shows Shetlands. Well, no one around here shows Tunis either. The question is, is it hard for you to find a place where your sheep are judged as a breed rather than a piece of meat?
This is the problem I seem to be facing. It doesn't matter which class I put my Tunis in, they are up against bigger badder sheep. We went to the fair this last weekend, had an OK time, although my daughter and I didn't stop arguing until the last day, got our butts soundly and roundly kicked by the suffolks in the show ring with us, and came home.

I suppose we are going to have to wait until there are more tunis around so we can start our own class, but until that happens, I'm done. I didn't even take any pictures, well not many and they are on my camera which is at home (shhhhh! dont tell anybody, I'm at work hehehe) and my home puter is down with the flu. Or something.

But there are a couple pics of me, the girls and one of our red heads at Amy's Flickr, lots of great pics, just keep looking!


We pulled the Milk Thistle. I wasn't home when the deed was done, but from what I hear it kind of came out with a 'pop', then it was burned. I get the whole 'noxious weed' thing, but I miss it. You have to admit that is a beautiful purple!

This weekend is the Humboldt Co Livestock Show and Sale, Jari will be showing Angle (the hamp ewe we bought in Ohio) and Mo (the market lamb). I promise I will take pics of the show and share, I am almost sure I wont be as trepiditious as I was at state so I will be more mindful of the camera. The week after that is the Lander Co Fair, we will hopefully be doing a petting pen, then on September 12, 13 and 14 is the CSSW Retreat, which I thoroughly intend on being at.

6 comments:

Sharon said...

I don't know how primitive breeds can compete with standard meat breads in the show ring. A number of years ago, I saw Helen MacFarland try to hold her own with her magnificent Icelandics in the show ring at BSG. It's a mindset based on market economics.

Pamela said...

Stumbled into your blog and have enjoyed reading it so much. I, too, have some Tunis sheep.

Mim said...

Your cable only got Reserve Grand huhh, it's way better then third or even a blue. I have much work to do in the future to catch up with you. Nancy Prior had the Grand Champ it got best Nevada Grown also.
The only way you can show your Tunis is with the thought of getting the judge to evaluate your sheep for what they are. Hopefully the judge will tell you their strenghts and weaknesses so you can up grade. Your paying for the judges evaluations and don't worry about the ribbons until they can beat the suffolks.
Primative fleece don't show well with the improved fleece breeds.

Laura said...

You might try to have an "All other Meat Breeds" or All other Wool Class added. That's where the tunis and dorpers show at the OR state fair. Then they're not competing with the suffolks, wether sires, hamps, etc.

What you have is Canadian Thistle - milk thistle has dark, dark green leaves with white markings. My thistles have all gone to seed, and the goldfinches are ecstatic. Hope they eat them all!

Unknown said...

Hey Becky,
Can you show in the wool class instead?

Julie

Kathy said...

I would put the Shetlands in a wool class or that "other" category so many fairs seem to have. Even if you are in a class by yourself, and the judge doesn't know squat about primitive breeds, it's good marketing to get you out there and known for what you do.
Our fair here is pathetic. I should have shown this year, but siince we thought we might be elsewhere didn't send in my forms.
I know that here in the SW, it's hard on we few Shetland people...distances hinder getting meetings going. Maybe we should all get together to form a SW Primitive Sheep Breed Assoc.?
And if you contact the fair board in time, you can have a wool class added to their list. Many of these people don't know one sheep from another and go by the requests they get from the 4Hers, FFAs' and public. Go get 'em, Gal! :)