Ringside Sheep Magazine - 2020 Issue 5

RINGSIDE

The Ultimate Sheep Magazine Volume 5: November 2020 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION

NO ONE

IT'S WHAT GETS DONE WHEN

IS WATCHING THAT REALLY COUNTS

"Mia" Knutson 20-86 Junior Champion Ewe Lamb 2020 Junior Suffolk Show

First place flock, South Dakota State Fair

Reserve Champion Ewe South Dakota State Fair

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SOME OF YOU ALL AT LOUISVILLE!

Knutson R20-55 1st Place February Ewe Lamb South Dakota State Fair

KNUTSON SUFFOLKS AND RAMBOUILLETS

"Rita" Knutson F18-2 Reserve Senior Champion Fitted Ewe 2020 Junior Suffolk Show

JASON, ALICIA, JACLYNN, ALISON, SHANIA AND KASI CENTERVILLE, SD (605) 670-2147 KNUTSONSHEEP@GMAIL.COM

Invested in our youth

We’re proud to have donated to these shows across the country this past year!

indiana state fair • ohio state fair american classic • pistol pete classic youth sheep expo • freedom fest • aajs ajsa • kootenai classic • stateline showcase silver spurs show • palouse classic • 509 show circuit

Get on the sale calendar in 2021

es are coming! angunique BigLetchour marketing

plans work for you!

We are working hard to make your sales experience easier.

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IntegrityLivestockSales.com

mike crowder 765-366-3135

mike@integritylivestocksales.com

> IN THIS ISSUE - NOV. 2020

RS

ON THE COVER

Featured on the front cover is PENC 19-11 “Sweetwater,” the Supreme Champion Ewe at the 2020 South Dakota State Fair. Sweetwater also had a successful show career as a ewe lamb, winning the Late Ewe Lamb class at Minnesota, South Dakota, and Keystone, and third at Louisville in a deep class that included both Early and Late Ewe Lambs. She is sired by “Big Ten” Wolf 15-01 and dammed by “Dahlonega” PENC 17-62 (Who Made Who x PENC 12-01). Sweetwater has grown into a big favorite around our farm, and we’re excited about the future impact she will have at Pines End. She has an exciting full sister that we will either keep in our show string or sell next year be on the lookout for that one.

Watch for the annual Pines End Natural Coloreds/ Kuykendall Online Sale in April 2021 at Integrity Livestock Sales, along with our annual Customer Appreciation Sale.

Thank you and congratulations to everyone who purchased Pines End and Kuykendall sheep this year. A few highlights: Kylie Schakel successfully campaigned “Miranda” and “Mallory” at several junior shows, including having Reserve Supreme Ewe at Freedom Fest and WI Sheep & Wool Festival, and Champion Ewe at the IN State Fair Jr Show and Youth Sheep Expo (Top 5 Supreme).

Congratulations also to Jarrod Neumeister on campaigning his yearling ewe that he purchased as a January ewe lamb in our spring online sale last year. The Lindow family won both Reserves at the WI Sheep & Wool Festival, both purchased in our online sales. We’re proud of these exhibitors and ALL of our customers! Thanks for your belief and continued support!

On the custom fitting front, thank you to our customers for your business in a crazy year. We’ve enjoyed sharing in your successes throughout the year, even though opportunities were limited. Contact us for patch shearing and online sale prep for spring 2021, we’d love to work with you.

Barn doors are always open! If you want to brave the cold, swing up north and give us a visit!

Thank you, Dylan Nohner - 320.420.5354 Katherine Kuykendall - 336.302.6162 pinesenddorsets@yahoo.com 4 | Ringside

EDITORIAL Junior Spotlight:Heidi Barkley ...................pages 8-9 Emma’s Top Ten Tunes ......................................page 11 Show Barn Cook Recipe ...................................page 12 Ringside Stories ..........................pages 14-16 & 18-19 Breed Updates....................................................page 25 Preparing for Lambing Season .......................page 32 Advertising Index ..............................................page 34

SHOW RESULTS Nebraska State Fair .........................................page 20 South Dakota State Fair............................pages 21-24 IL DOA Jr. Livestock Expo........................pages 26-27 AKSARBEN ....................................................page 28-29 American Royal...................................................page 30

STAFF CONTACTS EMILY ADCOCK Co-Owner/Creative Director 217.330.0539 ringsidesheep@gmail.com

CRUZ & SARAH NICHOLS Co-Owners/Ad Sales Representative 859.612.7175 ringsidesheep@gmail.com

SOCIAL MEDIA FACEBOOK: Ringside Sheep Magazine FACEBOOK: Emily Adcock Photography & Design

Pinesendnaturalcoloreds.com Facebook: Pines End Natural Coloreds

> LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

HOLY COW! IT’S OUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY! When we kicked this off a year ago, this edition seemed like it was in a dreamland far, far away. While it wasn’t exactly the first year we expected we made it through with the support of all of you and we can’t wait to continue in 2021!

For some of you this issue will reach you as we travel to NAILE and others at home lambing.

Wherever you are we hope you enjoy this last issue for the year 2020! 2020 is a year that is going to leave mark in a lot of our minds for many years to come. Unfortunately, I am afraid for a lot of us, those memories will be mostly negative. However, I hope reading through the stories from juniors in our Ringside Stories section, will help remind you of the positives this year brought as well. While they might be small, positives are the things we need to focus on.

That being said, I fear 2020 has more ugly to throw our way before the storm passes, I hope that you can find joy leading into the holiday season and close 2020 with good vibes as we head to 2021.

Please note we have modified our 2021 schedule some. Cruz and I are trying to continually strive to be the best we can for the industry and hope these modifications to the schedule better fit the advertising needs of your flocks and businesses. Please let us know if we can help in additional ways.

Don’t forget that you can contract your ads for the year and save an additional 10% off!

Best of luck if your are headed to NAILE! Hope to see you there. If not, have a wonderful holiday season and we look forward to being back in your mailbox in February.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US RINGSIDE!

Emily Adcock

Ringside | 5

> LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

I never expected to be going places wearing a mask, let alone preparing for NAILE and making sure we have a mask to wear while there. Normally, when I enter for NAILE I am worried about parking passes and admission tickets, this year it was determining how many people can come based on sheep entered.

Covid has definitely changed things in the sheep industry but has also proven people can step up and put together shows when push comes to shove.

It felt good to have some “normal” back with bred ewe sales and NAILE preparation. As we wrap up fall lambing and move into winter/spring lambing I hope for plentiful lamb crops and lots of spring sales.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US RINGSIDE!

Cruz and Sarah Nichols

2021 DEADLINES FEB. 2021 Ad Deadline: Jan. 8 Camera-Ready Ads Due: Jan. 15 MARCH 2021 Ad Deadline: Feb. 5 Camera-Ready Ads Due: Feb. 12 MAY 2021 Ad Deadline: April 2 Camera-Ready Ads Due: April 9 SEPT. 2021 Ad Deadline: Aug. 20 Camera-Ready Ads Due: Aug. 20 NOV. 2021 Ad Deadline: Oct. 8 Camera-Ready Ads Due: Oct. 15 6 | Ringside

AD PRICING FULL PAGE $595 | FRONT COVER $695 1/2 PAGE $425 | BACK COVER $695 1/4 PAGE $325 | INSIDE COVERS $625 1/8 PAGE/BIZ CARD $125 • 10% discount for contracting for year • 10% discount for print ready ads provided by deadline • 5% pre-pay discount if paid before print date.

Providing our best for your best Offering COlleCtiOn serviCes fOr bulls, buCks, rams and dOgs with On farm and haul-in COlleCtiOns available. hOusing alsO available.

Collecting rams has become an integral part of our operation, not only for our own AI work, but for semen sales and piece of mind if something happens to a sire. Interglobe Sire Services has been great to work with and are a key component of our operation when it comes to collection.

The passion and experience Bill Nolan has is tremendous and we are confident in the results. We are extremely thankful for his knowledge and service over the years. Amanda and the rest of the staff at Interglobe have been great to work with and it is a pleasure to work with people that are as passionate about their job as we are about our sheep. Thank you Interglobe Sire Service for being a part of Knittel Livestock’s succes.

- Rodney Knittel, Knittel Livestock, IL

Call

us today for our sire serviCe needs!

Interglobe Sire Service: 14814 N 1500 East Road, Pontiac, Illinois 61764 Interglobe: (815) 844-3733 | Amanda Harden - Sire Manager: 217-979-1991 Ringside | 7

Junior Spotlight:

Heidi Barkley showmanship ring. There are not many times, okay... barely any, where Heidi does not top off the class with her amazing show ring determination, demeanor, talent, and great wealth of knowledge. Heidi may come off as a natural without much practice, however this is quite far from the truth as she spends an abundant amount of time perfecting her flock’s genetics, feeding program, and her ability to present them at their best at shows.

THE GIRL THAT EVERYONE KNOWS, RESPECTS, AND APPRECIATES WITH MANY DIFFERENT TITLES Heidi Barkley is a well-known face and name in the livestock industry for her knowledge, dedication, and many talents. Heidi is no stranger to many different species of livestock; however, she has found that her true passion lies in the sheep barn.

Growing up in Bedford, Pennsylvania, Heidi’s interests developed on her family’s farm that raised Dorsets, Tunis, and Border Leicesters. At the age of ten her true spark of passion ignited when she attended her first North American International Livestock Exposition with her Dorset ewe, “Reese Cup”. Heidi placed quite well in her class with this ewe, but this does not even begin to highlight the success she has had in her sheep showing career.

Heidi’s sheep showing career, well more like a lifestyle than a career, has continued to develop throughout her life by attending the All American Junior Sheep Show, the Northeast Youth Sheep Show, the Pennsylvania Farm Show, and the North American International Livestock Exposition. At these shows, Heidi has placed respectfully in her breed classes with many champions, but an even more significant recognition is Heidi’s reputation in the 8 | Ringside

Being an Animal Science major at Penn State has added additional challenges to her sheep adventures as she is many miles away from the farm. This has caused some changes for Heidi that make her recognize the importance of cherishing every moment that you are given and appreciating the contribution of others in the sheep industry. Heidi often mentions how thankful she is to have parents who are just as dedicated to the family farm as her. Heidi may have the show ring spotlight, but she greatly appreciates the efforts of her parents behind the scenes. Another family of significant influence on Heidi’s sheep endeavors is the MacCauley family.

Billy and Betsy have always been supportive of the sheep industry’s youth, but especially to Heidi as they have even taken her to shows when her parents were not able to attend.

They are a family that are always willing to help anyone when needed, quite similar to Heidi.

As Heidi begins to see the end of her junior show career in light, she strives to influence younger

youth similar to how these individuals did for her. Heidi’s advice to young showmen is to not take any moment for granted and to take every opportunity possible to get into the show ring.

Also, remember that we were all young beginners at one point, so don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Like many of us, Heidi is always looking forward to any sheep show she can possibly attend.

She has been blessed with the opportunities to show at many different local, state, and national shows with her favorite being the All American Junior Sheep Show. Through these showing opportunities Heidi has been able to travel to many different states to exhibit her livestock, and also make some pretty amazing friendships.

However, Heidi’s favorite memory of showing still resides in her home state when she was named the winner of the market animal Showman of Showman at the 2019 Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Without this industry and the many opportunities to exhibit livestock, we would not have had the privilege of meeting Heidi. Oh my, life would be significantly different without this amazing, determined, caring, hilarious, and highly influential girl in our lives. Heidi’s determination and incredible workethic is contagious and has challenged us to be better shepherds and showmen ourselves.

Nathan, Cassie & Bryson Wallpe 5442 S CR 400 E Greensburg, IN 47240 (330) 401-7551 - Cassie Cell

Stop by our NAILE pens to see 2020 models

Congratulations Annie Schoetmer and “Nixon” Wallpe 0090 Jr. Champion Oxford Ewe Youth Sheep Expo 1st Place Slick Ewe Lamb

Next time you attend a sheep show, we highly suggest you take the time to watch Heidi show as it is a true inspiration and example of excellence.

Written by: Jessica Waldron with Eaststar Livestock, is a Senior at Wilmington College majoring in Animal Science, with a minor in Communications Arts.

Jillian Bingen with Bingen Oxfords, is a Senior at Marian University, double majoring in Early Childhood/Elementary Education and Special Education. *Photos courtesy of Heidi and Emily Adcock Ringside | 9

For All Your MArketing needs • • • • •

Email Marketing and E-blast Invitations Livestock Photography Logo Design Print Media - Ads, Catalogs, Banners

• Promotional Item Design and Curation • Senior, Family and Wedding Photography • Social Media Management • Videography

Volume 1: November 2019

Undefeated Flock

Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Big E and Keystone

Come see us in Louisville!

Rincker Land and Livestock & VonBehrens Show Stock Dusty, Claudia and Kingston Rincker Katelyn and Claire Vonbehrens 422 State Highway 32 Stewardson, IL 62463 www.rinckershowstock.com

Your Source for Corgis & Southdowns We currently have dogs in 15 states.

Check out our show flock at the North American.

Troy Longenecker | 125 Heisey Rd., Annville, PA 17003 | 717.679.7394

Emma’s Top Ten Tunes

My name is Emma Peters and I am from Versailles, OH. I am currently attending Lincoln Land Community College studying Agribusiness and Animal Science and on the Livestock Judging Team.

I went to my first sheep show when I was 5 days old and have been showing sheep ever since.

I currently raise Corriedale and Southdown sheep with my family.

Show Barn Top Ten 1. Wine, Beer,Whiskey - Little Big Town 2. Fake ID - Big & Rich 3. Strawberry Wine - Deana Carter 4. Cowboy Take Me Away - Dixie Chicks 5. The Highway Song - Kat Hasty 6. God Speed - Zach Bryan 7. Stone - Whiskey Myers 8. Cover Me Up - Morgan Wallen 9. Lady May - Tyler Childers 10. Like A Cowboy - Parker McCollum Honorable Mention: Magic in the Hamptons - Social House Ringside | 11

Dusty Oldenburg

Apple Pie Bites Well 2020 has been a year for the record books. With Thanks giving quickly approaching I thought it would be a good idea to figure out how to create dishes to accommodate our large family all while being able to serve food individually. This year I am going with an apple pie bite. Yummy mini apple pie’s that will melt in your mouth.

Ingredients 3 cans of Grands Big and Flaky crescent rolls.

2 cans of your choice of apple pie filling Sugar and Cinnamon mixed

I dump the apple pie filling into a bowl and chop up the apples into pieces. Cut raw crescent roll in half and put a small dalup of apple pie filling in the center of the crescent roll. Bring up the sides and pinch together to form a ball. Then roll around in the bowl of sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place on a Pam covered cookie sheet and coot at 350 degrees for about 20 min or until golden brown.

These little yummy goodness balls are a hit!

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook Time : 20 minutes For more show barn cooking ideas follow me at The Show Barn Cook on Facebook

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

May 6-8, 2021

March 19-20, 2021

Darke County Fairgrounds, Greenville, OH

Preble County Fairgrounds, Eaton, OH

*more details coming soon!

Featuring the 2021 National Polled & Horned Dorset Sale

P.O.Box 25, Rushsylvania, OH 43347 www.selectls.net Gary: 937.597.7214 - gary@selectls.net Pat: 937.935.1975 - pat@selectls.net Jim: 937.658.3119 - jim@selectls.net Dan: 937.243.5111 - dan@selectls.net Ringside | 13

Ringside Stories:

Making Lemonade out of Lemons

A Series of Stories from our Junior Sheep Enthusiasts on How They Have Thrived in 2020 despite all the obstacles.

FROM TARYN WRIGHT, CA

Over the past few months the saying “Why is this happening to us?” has frequently come out of my mouth. That’s because, like a lot of people, I don’t understand how we could have upset mother nature enough to be continuously hitting us with all these curveballs. Being from California and having to deal not only with COVID but also the eruption of fires and the constant heat waves has taken a huge toll on everyone throughout the state, especially us with livestock.

Being able to stay motivated and still strive to achieve the goals you set for yourself before these events has been a real struggle. Learning how to deal with these battles and finding a light in all of this darkness is so important. For most of us, that is our livestock; our livestock is the light. We have all dealt with the series of events we have encountered over the past months differently. I decided to turn this extremely unfortunate situation into something that could benefit not only myself, but others as well.

Community 4H groups and FFA chapters in California have not been able to physically meet since March, which has caused a lot of members to lose the help and guidance they need with their projects. It is just recently that parts of the state have opened up a little bit more after the completion of our state county fair season. Though, I took it upon myself to give back to the industry and community who have done so much for me over the past ten years. In June I created my own business, TMW Livestock Services, where I offer clipping, fitting, picturing and videoing, along with showmanship lessons for sheep, goats, cattle, and hogs. I have had the opportunity to travel all over the Central Coast of California working with countless 4H and FFA members, along with achieving some success! Growing up, I would always look to the older members to teach me and be my role models, and now I am in that position to do the same, which makes this experience so much more rewarding. Being able to watch these kids light up when they see their animals clipped and transformed or when they do well at the livestock show makes my passion for the livestock industry deepen even more.

The importance of making connections has 14 | Ringside

been instilled in me from a young age, but being able to do this through your own business has a completely different feeling! Not only do I travel around and help exhibitors, I also utilize social media. Through Facebook and Instagram, I have been able to publicize my business to reach people all over the United States.

My content is made up of success my business has had through my clients winning along with general help for each species. I often ask my followers what they want to see and learn about along with what questions they have so that I can give them the information they need to succeed. The internet and social media are some of the most powerful technologies on the planet and by using them to your advantage, you can be as creative as possible!

If I could give one piece of advice that I have learned in 2020 that would be to take advantage of every moment whether it’s in the barn, in the show ring, or in the truck on your way to a show because you never know when it will be the last time you get to do that. 2020 has shown us how truly amazing the livestock industry is and how far this community is willing to go to make sure the show will go on. Through replacement shows, backyard shows, and even shows that were put on in the middle of a field, this industry has tried their very hardest to make sure we have every opportunity possible to display our hard work and for that we are forever grateful!

FROM BECCA WILTS, MN

I breed and show Rambouillets, and my family has a flock of about 80 registered Rambouillet and Dorset ewes along with a handful of Natural Colored and SAMM sheep. My siblings and I show all summer, and I never thought I could imagine a year without that. In a usual summer, I work for Dylan Nohner and go to all the big Midwest shows with him. This year, I was sent home in March from my freshman year of college back to a freezing Minnesota winter and a barn full of lambs with nowhere to show them.

By mid-April, I had accepted the fact that we likely would not have any shows and this would be a pretty different summer. This was my last year of eligibility in 4-H and my second-to-last year as a junior, so I was obviously disappointed. However, when our county fair got cancelled at the beginning of June, my family and I decided that virtual shows weren’t enough and came to the consensus that most families did at some point this summer: we had to put on something for junior members. Our county sheep program has several young kids, and we wanted to put something together for them to showcase their hard work and for everyone to see each other again, even if it was only for a day. My family and I worked hard to plan our show: contacting potential judges, writing health and safety protocols, designing awards, and getting the proper permits. We even ended up hosting the event at our own farm when our planned location pulled out of the deal, which meant we had to put in some extra sweat to make a show ring, but on the plus side, we didn’t have to load any sheep into a trailer! In the end, we ended up with 28 kids, around 60 sheep, and countless smiles. It felt awesome to be back in the ring and to see some of my friends, even if it didn’t have all the pomp and circumstance of a normal show.

This summer also allowed me a chance to advance as a breeder. I had my first experience with selling in an online sale, which really taught me the value of having a good team for taking sale pictures!

It allowed me to expand my network to new places, selling my sheep across the country, from Wyoming to Maryland. With fewer shows this year, I also wasn’t constantly concerned about how I was going to place at the next show. I got to watch my lambs grow and develop, and look closely at which ones were going to make the very best additions to my flock in the long run, not just which ones were going to be the biggest and look the best on show day.

While this summer was anything but normal, I’m grateful for the things it taught me. I think my family and the entire livestock industry learned how important it is to give junior exhibitors a chance to show; without juniors like me and our love for sheep,

this business has no future. Hopefully we will all be back together soon; I can’t wait to get back to complaining about the Sedalia heat, getting a big rush of adrenaline while bidding on a good ewe, seeing all my friends again, and watching Dylan laugh at me when one of the sheep gets me soaking wet while we’re washing. But in the meantime, I’m oddly grateful for this crazy year and the new experiences it gave me.

FROM MADDIE HAUGER, IN

2020. A year that was off to a great start and filled with so much promise. Lambing had ended, and I had my best lamb crop ever. I was enjoying the last half of my 8th grade year. My sister was experiencing the excitement of her senior year. Spring sales were starting and our thoughts shifted to assembling our show string. It was going to be a great year. And then it all came to a screeching halt.

School closed for the remainder of the year. Sales started canceling. Businesses and then entire states shut down as “stay at home” orders were put in place. We were living in a time that was unpredictable, filled with unknowns, and quite frankly kind of terrifying. No gatherings over 15 people.

Social distancing became a new normal. You could no longer see family or friends. The world had come to a complete stop.

As the weeks went on, more and more events were canceled. More restrictions were put in place.

Was there an end in sight, or would this be what the remainder of 2020 would be like? I often wondered this while trying to navigate the world of e-Learning.

Most of my friends from school were excited to sleep in and do homework in their pajamas. Sure, it was nice at first. But was this really something that I would want to do for months? Surely this won’t still be going on when show season starts. At least that is what I had to keep telling myself to try to stay hopeful that this crazy thing called COVID-19 wouldn’t impact my Ringside | 15

favorite time of the year.

And then it happened. They canceled the first show. Shortly after others started to follow. I was upset. I was mad. Would there be any shows? Would I get to see my friends? I had all of these questions and concerns that couldn’t be answered. I didn’t care about COVID or getting sick. I was just worried I would have to wait until November or later to see my friends again.

I thought shows were done for the year. At that point I had given up. Sure, we had virtual shows, but they weren’t the same. Then the American Junior Southdown Association found a way to give us a live show. When I found out, I couldn’t have been more excited to show my sheep and see my show friends.

Someone finally said enough and gave us a chance to show outside of our backyard.

Even though I don’t see my show family on a daily basis, you never realize how much you miss spending time with your friends until they aren’t there.

I didn’t want to go back home and have a Fourth of July party with my school friends. I wanted to stay at the fairgrounds and just hang out with my other friends. It doesn’t matter if we are playing corn hole or just sitting around talking. We have fun no matter what, and we always pick up right where we left off from the last show.

That weekend reminded me of why we do this.

We don’t do it for the banners or the awards. We do it because we enjoy being around the people. It’s a positive, fun, and happy environment when you go to a show. The people make you happy and put a smile on your face. And 2020 has shown me that you can’t take any of it for granted.

After that weekend, I regained hope that things would go back to normal or at least shows would find ways to still take place. I worked in the barn day and night to be ready for the next show, even if I didn’t know when it would be.

With all of the uncertainty for the future I had to prioritize which sheep I would show. Over this time, my mindset shifted to quality over quantity. I had to spend more of my time with my best sheep. During this time, I was also able to work on my showmanship.

Downsizing my show string and having extra time in the barn not only improved my sheep’s behavior, but it also helped me improve my showmanship quality.

I was lucky enough to have a county fair, a state fair, and a few other shows along the way. Sure, they were different, but I still enjoyed every minute of them. We had to wear masks. We were limited on our entries. Only a certain number of people could attend the shows with me. But I’m still very grateful that not 16 | Ringside

all shows were canceled. People knew how important a show season was to the juniors of this industry, and they didn’t let us down.

Enjoy the time you have with your family and friends. Keep working hard and never give up. Always strive to do your best no matter how tough things get.

We still don’t know what the future holds for the next show season. Whatever it is, I’ve learned to not take anything for granted and always make the most of whatever time you have with your show family.

FROM BRADY MEUDT, WI

The summer of 2020 brought intense challenges faced worldwide and the livestock industry was no exception. COVID-19, the coronavirus, or “Miss Rona” destroyed many hopes and dreams of youth across the country with jackpots needing to cancel in the midst of the start of a global pandemic; many county fairs could not hold events, a first since the time of the second world war and state fairs cancelling across the country. The agricultural youth who dreamt of their show season in the summer of 2020 asked questions like everyone else: “What do we do now?

Do we keep animals on feed? Is it worth showing once?” There was never a good answer, not one anyone wanted to hear anyway. The uncertainty of everything left many to give up as soon as it was difficult to see any positive outcome for their 2020 show season.

The vision of my senior year was like every other competitive showman, to win my state fair and my showmanship class. An idea of what lambs I would be looking for began in August of 2019 and carried through the spring as COVID-19 began to gain momentum an ocean away. 2019 was not envisioned to be the final year for myself and many alike at the continued on page 18

Thanks to all of our on-line sale supporters and those who bought off the farm.

Both sired by:

"The Right Choice", Our Poynter stud 2018 National Reserve Champion Ram has proven his worth in our barn!

Grand Champion Ewe 2020 Youth Show, IN 1st Place Yearling Ewe

"Joe Exotic" Grand Champion Ram 2020 Youth Show, IN 1st Place Fall Ram Lamb

Home of the Pipestone Ewe Flock

Francis Family Farms Katahdins

Raising Katahdins that will Grow & Show

Tony, Barb, Britton, Brant, & Aly Francis 17292 Monroe Rd. 735 • Paris, MO 65275 • 573-473-0633 • tigercountry corgis@gmail.com

Heeg’s Crazy H Club Lambs Presents

FALL BORN

SALE

Black Friday

Good luck to our friends showing at 2020 NAILE!

November 27, 2020

on wlivestock.com

Ringside | 17

Wisconsin State Fair which made my passion and drive to do better than before unlike any other. When the world began to shut down, I was forced home as school would soon start online for so many and my time in the barn would double as my motivation drove me to work with my animals as much as my school. News of spring jackpot shows being canceled devastated me as COVID finally assumed its role in my life. Soon after, state fair after state fair began to do the same, which meant my Wisconsin State Fair would follow suit and cancel as well. I was in denial believing that my state fair would never cancel the junior livestock shows because of the time, money, tenacity and dedication the youth of the livestock industry have is unlike any other. But my dreams were destroyed as Wisconsin, like many before, failed to provide an opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their projects due to COVID restrictions and guidelines that could not be followed in order to host a livestock show.

Distraught, the questions of what was going to happen next were instigated. My personal uncertainty if I should continue feeding the lambs I selected through until the end remained intact. Then, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Breeders across the country found ways to host livestock shows and give those an opportunity to show including the Wisconsin Livestock Expo. I was also offered an opportunity to travel the country and teach the next generation of showmen as a counselor with Chastin Leggett’s “You Gotta Believe” (YGB) Livestock Camps. When everything seemed to have ended, it had only begun as I pivoted my final year of eligibility to become the greatest and most memorable year-to-date. My lambs, being trained much earlier in the show season than normal, were worked harder and my passion for what I enjoy the most began anew. The opportunity with YGB, which would have waited another year during normalcy, changed my life for the better. Working with some of the best showmen from around the country taught me as much as I brought to the table in teaching thousands of showmen what I love to do, in hopes they find the same drive and passion. When I returned home, my work continued on my livestock in preparation for the substitute state fair. Coming out with the Sixth Overall Market Lamb, Champion Oxford Wether, and Champion 19-year-old showman, my goals were not fully met to what my dreams were initially. However, given the scenario of what 2020 brought upon myself and other showmen, my gratitude of having a livestock show where I had the chance to showcase my work proved enough satisfaction in what I had accomplished. I was proud of the work I presented and what I accomplished with the help of my family. I was far more than pleased with the results 18 | Ringside

of my summer and still have the fall season to finish out my senior year of eligibility.

The summer of 2020 presented what seemed an unbearable amount of challenges for the livestock industry as uncertainty clouded what would come to be. The resilience of so many across the country provided a new range of opportunities for the youth of this country to present their work in ways that will never be forgotten with new livestock shows, new ways for champion drives to celebrate, new scholarship offerings, new methods of hosting sales and being flexible with opportunities to travel the country and counsel youth to create the next generation of incredible show-savvy youth. My personal experiences of this year go above and beyond what I thought was possible to be done in light of what has occurred throughout 2020. This year offered perspective, something many took for granted with a show every weekend or a livestock sale guaranteed at the state and county fairs. It offered respect, for those who hurdled recurring obstacles to make a livestock show successful. It took perseverance, to roll with the punches in a time of such uncertainty and keep animals on feed. And it took hard work, to go to the barn every day, uncertain if it was worth it. But us youth who love to show, love nothing more than working with livestock and with those involved in the industry. The show season of 2020 did not falter in success and the youth with passion did not fail to disappoint in their success as it is not measured by how well we do in the show ring, rather the work we put into our projects and our ability to be the best we can. “Success is no accident.

It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love what you are doing or learning to do.” – Pele

FROM JESS LEARY, MA

This year, the year of COVID, is also the year I turned twenty-one. However, being the year of COVID, I could not go out to celebrate. Additionally, I sat by watching as events I was planning to attend cancel one after another, including my trip to Aruba, and two concerts: Kenny Chesney and Luke Combs. Most devastating of all was watching each fair, each livestock show I attended yearly with my Southdown sheep since I was seven, cancel one by one. COVID had single-handedly wiped out my entire summer schedule.

What was I supposed to do with all this time? Each year, my summer revolved around my sheep and the shows I took them to. Looking over my lambs, I could not gather the incentive to work with them-what was the point if there were going to be no shows to bring them? So instead, my pandemic months in a state that nearly entirely locked down, was spent going from home to work and back home while wearing a mask every step in between.

During early July, months into the pandemic where time somehow crept by as the world stood still, a new hope appeared. NEYSS (North East Youth Sheep Show) announced that they would be moving forward with their show. Naturally during a pandemic, the show would be quite different than all the years past, including wearing a mask and social distancing.

Sheep people and social distancing were two words I could not imagine working together. Half of the loss of the shows were not being to see and spend time with those I only see a few times a year at these events.

There is certain strength to a bond that is bound by the same passion and drive. Regardless of any rule changes, I sent in my entries immediately and began something I should have the entire pandemic-worked with my lambs.

As the show date neared, those who were planning on attending the show talked of the heat and the mask rule. Some complained that it would be miserable and hot already without the mask, never mind having to wear one while we worked on sheep and showed in the heat. Others, like myself, did not understand how social distancing would work as we know, shows were also a social gathering. Some saw it as bittersweet, we would be able to show, but it would not be the same.

And again, I pushed forward, determined to attend this one and only show; determined to not let COVID ruin all summer.

As usual during this show, the heat proved to be brutal and the mask added to that. But our friends were there, our sheep were penned, the barn smelled of straw and was coated in a fresh, comforting dust.

For the first time all year, the world felt, almost, completely normal. The days passed too quickly and soon,

show day was upon us. Masks were on, sheep were show-ready, and the announcers began calling classes.

Southdowns showed at eight o’clock in the morning and still, I felt the sweat beading up underneath my mask. Show day left a ringing feeling of home, even with the changes COVID forced. Throughout the week, many of those attending wished for a normal show year in 2021 and reminded us to be hopeful of that.

As we were loading up, I could not shake a thought from my mind. COVID canceled almost every plan I had this year, but I let it cancel far more. I allowed COVID to let me lose hope, to lose motivation.

My sheep could have shown better, could have walked on a halter better, could have braced better. While the people and shows are a huge part of the sheep showing world, they are not the only part. Even if no shows happened, I should still strive to achieve the best out of my sheep, so even if there are no shows, I can still contain that sense of pride for my flock. That drive to be better should not die out because the world paused. I should work with my projects and build them into what I could consider their best, so when the world’s ready-even if that is not next year-we will be ready. I should be able to look at my flock and be proud of what I have done with them instead of thinking of a list of “Should Have’s”. And that, is the biggest lesson I took from COVID.

Thank you to all these juniors for sharing their stories!

Ringside | 19

>NEBRASKA STATE FAIR Photos courtesy of The Pulse

CHAMPION MARKET LAMB CHAMPION CROSSBRED Creighton Hieschfeld

RES CHAMPION MARKET LAMB CHAMPION HAMP Lydia Ockander

CHAMPION BREEDING EWE CHAMPION COMMERCIAL Jordan Musil

RES CHAMPION BREEDING EWE RES CHAMP COMMERCIAL Lydia Ockander

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>SOUTH DAKOTA STATE FAIR

4-H Show - Breeding Rams Images Courtesy of The Pulse

CHAMPION OVERALL RAM CHAMPION SOUTHDOWN Emily Nold

RES CHAMPION RAM RES CHAMPION SOUTHDOWN Blake Peskey

THIRD OVERALL CHAMPION BABYDOLL RAM Mason Jervik

FOURTH OVERALL CHAMPION CORRIEDALE Basya Weis

FIFTH OVERALL CHAMPION TARGHEE Alisha McMartin

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>SOUTH DAKOTA STATE FAIR 4-H Show - Breeding Ewes Photos courtesy of The Pulse

CHAMPION OVERALL EWE CHAMPION SUFFOLK FITTED Raesa Zelinsky

RES CHAMPION EWE CHAMPION SOUTHDOWN Tyson Miller

THIRD OVERALL CHAMPION AOB MEAT Danielle Houghtaling

FOURTH OVERALL CHAMPION CORRIEDALE Abigail Weis

FIFTH OVERALL CHAMPION SUFFOLK SLICK Wesley Linke

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>SOUTH DAKOTA STATE FAIR

4-H Show - Market Ewes Images Courtesy of The Pulse

CHAMPION OVERALL MARKET EWE CHAMPION CROSSBRED Madison Fairley

RES CHAMPION MARKET EWE CHAMPION NATURAL COLORED Jack Thompson

THIRD OVERALL CHAMPION AOB Brinn Begalka

FOURTH OVERALL CHAMPION HAMPSHIRE Camden Miller

FIFTH OVERALL RES CHAMPION HAMPSHIRE Brinn Begalka

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>SOUTH DAKOTA STATE FAIR 4-H Show - Market Wethers Photos courtesy of The Pulse

CHAMPION MARKET WETHER CHAMPION CROSSBRED Madison Fairley

RES CHAMPION MARKET WETHER CHAMPION HAMPSHIRE Hilary Albrecht

THIRD OVERALL RES CHAMPION CROSSBRED Hunter Miller

FOURTH OVERALL RES CHAMPION HAMPSHIRE Raina Johnson

FIFTH OVERALL CHAMPION NATURAL COLORED Sami Nordmann

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BREED BUSINESS HAMP NOTES FROM JEFF

I write these notes in mid-October and we have had a very mild fall which has been great for harvesting crops, but we really need some moisture.

I just today received numbers for our national shows in Louisville, there are 285 Hampshires entered in the National Hampshire Junior Show and 201 head entered in the National Hampshire Show.

Judges for the National Hampshire Show are Tim Fleener for slick shorn Hampshires and Noel Olson for fitted Hampshires. Aaron Crome is the judge for the National Junior Hampshire Show. New this year, both the fitted and slick shorn champion ram and ewe in both the open and junior shows will show in their respective supreme champion drives.

Because of the restrictions, the AHSA will not hold their annual meeting in Louisville as we typically do each fall. Instead, it will be a zoom meeting held on November 22nd at 6:00pm. Watch your email for the link to the meeting.

The year 2020 has been a challenging one and our registration and transfer numbers are off mostly because of the lack of sales and shows. Be sure to take advantage of the amnesty program that runs through the end of 2020 where all registrations regardless of age are done at the $4.00 rate. Don’t let yourself get caught next year needing to catch up on your yearling registrations for shows that are hopefully back in full force.

The AHSA office has remained very busy as we now serve 35 associations through our office. The newest associations that we have contracted with in the last few months are the American Corriedale Association and the US Targhee Sheep Association.

Our staff prides themselves in quick, accurate work to all of the association members that we serve.

If the AHSA office staff can be of assistance do not hesitate to reach out to us.

CHEVIOT NEWS

As I write these notes, we have had a very dry fall in Kansas. Great for harvesting fall crops, but not so great for growing winter wheat to graze the ewe flock on this fall. The year 2020 has been very challenging as you have all seen firsthand. It has adversely affected many sales and shows for our Cheviot breeders, including our national sale and annual meeting.

I received numbers today for the Cheviot shows at Louisville. There were 16 head entered in the National Junior Cheviot Show and 28 head entered in the National Cheviot Show. Aaron Crome is scheduled to judge the junior show and Tor Sorensen the open show this year at Louisville.

The ACSS board of directors are working to plan an annual meeting by Zoom sometime in the next 45 days. Please watch your email for the link to join the meeting.

Work will begin soon on the 2021 Cheviot Journal. Make plans now to promote your Cheviot flock in this once a year breed publication that is widely distributed though out the year at shows and sales and mailed to all active Cheviot members.

Registration and transfer numbers are off in 2020 mostly because of the lack of sales and shows.

Be sure to review your replacement ewe lambs and make sure that you get them registered yet this fall to avoid the extra cost of registering them after they are one year of age.

If the ACSS office staff can be of any assistance do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Email your breed news to ringsidesheep@gmail.com at any time and we will be happy to run it in our upcoming issue!

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>ILLINOIS DOA JR LIVESTOCK EXPO Springfield, IL Photos Courtesy of Cindy Cagwin-Johnston

SUPREME CHAMPION RAM CHAMPION SOUTHDOWN Shelbie Pollard

RES SUPREME RAM CHAMPION AOB WOOL Kenzie Meyer

SUPREME CHAMPION EWE CHAMPION SOUTHDOWN Ryker Beckmier

RES SUPREME EWE CHAMPION DORSET Thomas Vandeventer

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>ILLINOIS DOA JR LIVESTOCK EXPO Springfield, IL Photos Courtesy of Cindy Cagwin-Johnston

CHAMPION MARKET LAMB CHAMPION NATURAL COLORED Lillian Unger

RES CHAMPION MARKET LAMB CHAMPION CROSSBRED Cole Ellerbrock

THIRD OVERALL RES CHAMPION CROSSBRED Bryce Clayton

FOURTH OVERALL CHAMPION SHROPSHIRE Karly Reel

FIFTH OVERALL CHAMPION OXFORD Lillian Unger

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>AKSARBEN Photos Courtesy of The Pulse

GRAND CHAMPION MARKET LAMB CHAMPION BFX Dayton Mortvedt

RES CHAMPION MARKET LAMB RES CHAMPION BFX Maegan Schorpp

THIRD OVERALL MARKET LAMB THIRD BFX Colby Williams

FOURTH OVERALL MARKET LAMB CHAMPION HAMPSHIRE Madeline Sheiss

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>AKSARBEN Photos Courtesy of The Pulse

FIFTH OVERALL MARKET LAMB RES CHAMPION HAMPSHIRE Carter Hoge

SIXTH OVERALL MARKET LAMB CHAMPION NATURAL Lillian Unger

SEVENTH OVERALL MARKET LAMB FOURTH BFX Gabby Raute

EIGHTH OVERALL MARKET LAMB CHAMPION WFX Sawyer Morrical

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>AMERICAN ROYAL Photos Courtesy of The Pulse

CHAMPION MARKET LAMB Madison Rule

RES CHAMPION MARKET LAMB Hallie Hindmann

Find or submit show results to The Pulse powered by Sullivan Supply!

30 | Ringside

Merry Christmas &

Happy New Year From the Ringside Crew

Ringside | 31

Part 1: Preparing for a Successful Lambing Season From Biozyme Inc.

Lambing season is perhaps the most anticipated time on any sheep operation. You’ve prepared your matings, got the ewes bred and waited for the next crop of potential show lambs, replacement ewes and sire prospects to hit the ground. However, during those approximately five months of gestation, you have plenty of time to prepare your flock for a successful lambing season.

Perhaps the first step in making sure that your ewes develop and deliver healthy lambs successfully starts with proper health and nutrition. Chad Charmasson, Hennessey, Oklahoma, has been involved in the sheep industry his entire life. His grandfather owned a commercial sheep flock while Chad was growing up. As an ag teacher in Elgin, Oklahoma, Charmasson and another family started raising club lambs with about 20 ewes. Today, he and his family own Charmasson Club Lambs, which includes 130 ewes that lamb from late December to April 1.

Charmasson said the most important thing to making sure his ewes give birth unassisted to healthy, vigorous lambs is to provide them with proper nutrition during gestation. Most of the lambing difficulties he’s experienced are due to lambs that are too big, caused by overfeeding the ewes.

“I don’t like a skinny ewe at all, but we’ve learned the hard way. It’s a little harder by having them too fat for them to have a lamb on their own,” he said.

Prior to lambing, Charmasson said his nutrition program includes a good forage and a vitamin and mineral supplement to maintain their condition. He will either have his ewes turned out on grass or feed them free-choice oat hay round bales. From breeding through weaning, his flock is on the DuraFerm® Sheep Concept•Aid® Protein Tub. Once the lambs are weaned, the ewes still stay on DuraFerm, but are converted to a loose mineral more suitable for the hotter temperatures, the DuraFerm Sheep Concept•Aid HEAT®.

“I’m a firm believer in the DuraFerm tubs being ideal for those ewes, especially when they are in gestation. It gives them all the nutrients they need, and they can utilize some dry grass or some grass hay or some oat hay. You don’t have to provide them with grain until they have started to lamb. Once those ewes have lambed, they get 2 to 3 pounds of grain a day, and they are on free-choice alfalfa until those babies are old enough to wean,” he said.

The DuraFerm Sheep Concept•Aid products are specifically designed to help the reproductive success of the flock when fed 30 days pre-lambing through breeding.

They contain balanced levels of high-quality vitamin and minerals required for growth, breeding and lambing, such as organic zinc and manganese, selenium yeast and high levels of vitamin E to support maximum reproduction and health. In addition, DuraFerm contains Amaferm®, a precision prebiotic designed to enhance digestibility by amplifying nutrient supply for maximum performance. It is research-proven to increase the energy available to the animal resulting in more

32 | Ringside

milk production as well as the ability to initiate and maintain pregnancy and fertility. The Protein Tub contains 16% natural protein. The loose mineral with the HEAT package is designed to help initiate and maintain pregnancy through reducing heat stress any time the temperature reaches 70 degrees or hotter. It also contains garlic to deter insects.

After nutrition, Charmasson said having a clean environment to keep the ewes that are going to lamb is pivotal. You’ve got the ewes on a good plane of nutrition, now keep them healthy by providing them with a dry, clean, environment with fresh bedding prior to and during lambing.

“We went for years without a skid loader, and we finally bought a skid loader, skid steer, bobcat, whatever you want to refer to it as. I’m not sure how we did without it.

That’s probably one of our most used pieces of equipment.

We use it every couple of weeks, dragging the barns out and rebedding and throwing bedding out from the jugs and taking it out to the compost pile. If I were going to encourage someone to get one piece of equipment, I’d say get a skid loader. You’ll use it more than you think,” he said.

From keeping your ewes nutritionally sound to keeping your barn clean and bedded, there’s a lot to do to prepare for lambing. With a supplement like DuraFerm, your ewes will be able to have the nutrients they need to keep themselves and their developing babies healthy, giving you time to clean your barn. Check back here in a few months for more tips on a successful lambing season.

For more information about DuraFerm or the Amaferm advantage, visit www.Duraferm.com.

About BioZyme® Inc. BioZyme Inc., founded in 1951, develops and manufactures natural, proprietary products focused on animal nutrition, health and microbiology. With a continued commitment to research, BioZyme offers a complete line of feed additives and high density, highly available vitamin, mineral, trace mineral and protein supplements for a variety of animals including cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, goats, horses and dogs. BioZyme brands include Amaferm,®, VitaFerm®, Vita Charge®, Sure Champ®, Vitalize®, and DuraFerm®. With headquarters in St. Joseph, Missouri, the company reaches a global market of customers that stretches into countries across five continents. For more information about BioZyme, visit www.biozymeinc.com.

Hope to See you at NAILE!

Best of Luck to all the Exhibitors!

Send Us Your Show Results to be Featured in an Upcoming Issue!

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> ADVERTISING INDEX

Crazy H Club Lambs .............................................................page 17 Emily Adcock Photography and Design............................page 10 Francis Family Farms Katahdins .........................................page 17 Integrity Livestock Sales.......................................................page 3 Interglobe Sire Services .......................................................page 7 Knutson Suffolks & Rambouillets .......................................page 2 Longenecker Show Stock .....................................................page 11 Mid-States Wool Growers ...................................................page 37 Nichols Sheep Farm ..............................................................Back Cover Pines End Natural Coloreds..................................................Front Cover Schwartz Show Stock ...........................................................page 9 Select Livestock Services ....................................................page 13 Wallape Oxfords ....................................................................page 9

Thank you for joining us Ringside!

34 | Ringside

Thank You! Thank you for joining us on this journey a year ago. We appreciate all the support and compliments. We hope to continue being your go to resource and advertising platform for many years to come.

Cheers to our 1 year anniversary!

RINGSIDE Ringside | 35

N

NICHOLS

Sheep Farm

WHIS

Our 2020 ram line-up is pretty salty and since we didn’t get to take them on the show road we wanted to give them the recognition they deserve.

’ N I K L A T Y E K

Spilde 9430 NSF 1675 x Spilde 9042 Acquired this spring from Spilde online sale

Pr

i r c es

n o i pt

NSF 2001 Crome Dorsets 2822 ‘Doctors Order’ x Crouch 1615 We think this one is just what the doctor ordered.

D E T A LCUL

CA RISK

NSF 2014 Crome Dorsets 2824 ‘Stipulations’ x NSF 1836 ‘Precious’ We knew we were taking a risk breeding a fall ewe lamb but we think it was worth it.

look for detailS oN our upCoMiNg SaleS aNd look for uS at Naile

Cruz, Sarah & harper NiCholS | roN & lori Moore

28783 Pleasant Hill School Rd. | Jerseyville, IL 62052 |859.612.7175 | slnichols93@gmail.com | Ron:618.535.3235