WISCONSIN SHEEP AND WOOL 2013

 We sheared or rooed 23 sheep this spring.  I had to ship out a number of fleeces for my market yarns early on but kept back a few I hoped would be competitive.  We ended up showing five fleeces....four in the single-coated colored Shetland class(Morocco, Madrid, Vanity and Kashmir) and one in the rooed class(B.o.B.).  The judge, Gillian Wakeling, really liked our fleeces when they came up on the  table.  I don't have photos from the show as our camera ended up staying in the motel room, but they did look nice.  Took these after we got home.  Morocco was first, Madrid was second, Kashmir's second fleece was third.  Morocco and Madrid took GCH and RGCH overall.  Then B.o.B.'s fleece won the rooed category and GCH there as well.  Kelly Bartels had a lovely shaela fleece in the rooed category that won second and RGCH.  A lovely way to statt the day and much easier than showing actual sheep!  LOL.

This is Morocco's fleece at home after being messed with a bit taken with my less-then-perfect camera skills.  Meghan was in the audience whilst I helped unroll and roll fleeces for the judge and she said there were audible gasps about the color and crimp when it came up for judging.  And to think I almost didn't show it because I felt it might not be quite fine enough overall.

We then went on to the showring.  We had 23 lambs born this spring.  23 seems to be becoming a theme here.  We selected four to bring to the show...all moorits.  Two ram lambs sired by Boer Goat from very different dams--S.I. out of Vanity Fair and Moose out of Mandalay.  Two ewe lambs sired by full brothers B.o.B. and Blake out of Angry Bird and Milan.  We also brought a yearling Grasshopper daughter Painted Lady out of Maple Sugar.  And for mature ewes we brought Marrakech(who wasn't in the best shape due to fluke issues last fall)and her two year old daughter Mandalay.  We really wanted to bring them back for Dam and Daughter.

In a class of 19 ram lambs we placed second with Moose and fourth with S.I.  Second in pair of ram lambs. The judge said it was a close one to call with the first place pair owned by Theresa Gygi.  In ewe lambs we placed 2nd and 4th once again.  Wren took the second place and Sicily the fourth.  In pairs there were a close second behind Theresa's katmoget pair(one of which won the ewe lamb class).  In yearlings Meghan and Painted Lady got a fifth place.  In mature ewes Meghan managed to control Mandalay who is very spirited to a first place.  Marrakech was fifth.  Mandalay won GCH overall for ewes.  Mandalay and Marrakech were fourth for Dam and Daughter.  Moose was second for Best Fleece on Hoof.  And Mandalay won Reserve Supreme Champion of the show and then tried to remove the potted mums from the show table after a mad dash across the ring....somewhat reminiscent of her dam's leap two years ago after winning RGCH ewe.

We went with very low expectations and were absolutely thrilled to place in every class and win such high honors with Mandalay.  I applaud Marrakech(Wintertime Black Forrest X Winter Sky Calypso)for proving to be such a strong ewe line in our flock.  Mandalay is her daughter.  Moose is her grandson.  Siciliy is sher great-granddaughter.  Nuf said!