4th place Fall Ewe Lamb NAILE ‘24
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4th Place March Ewe Lamb NAILE ‘24
Held’s Hampshires
HELD 24-4477 NNP RR
2024 Res. Jr Champion honors at the National Hampshire Show. Undefeated Jan ewe lamb (IA,SD,NAILE).
This triplet ewe lamb is sired by Niemeier 301 F “Precision”, the 2023 Res. Senior Champion ram at the National Hampshire Show.
HELD 23-4419 NNP RR
Congratulations to William Taylor, KY on his 1st place fall ewe lamb at the 2024 National Jr Show at NAILE. The “Taylor team” had her at 12 O’clock!
HELD 24-4509 NNP RR “AUTHENTIC”
HELD 23-4425 NNP RR
JEFF | MARY | AUSTIN | AARON CELL (JEFF): 605.690.7033 HELDHAMPSHIRES.COM | HELDHAMPS@GMAIL.COM
Our winning fall ewe lamb in the 2024 National Hampshire show. This rock solid female has Niemeier 818 stamped across the pedigree. Exposed to “Authentic” for spring lambs!!
4th place March ram lamb at the National Hampshire show at NAILE. Mid-March triplet which is double-bred Pullin 21-54 (Niemeier 901). Dam was our 2022 National Res. Champ Ewe, he has that same cool design from nose to tail! A unique package of traits to carry our breeding program into the future.
Looking forward to 2025!! Have another great set of fall lambs sired by Niemeier 301F “Precision” and many carry the Niemeier 818 lineage!
Watch for our online entries in the 2025 Heart of Champions and AHSA sales! Of course will have another strong offering available at the 2025 Midwest Sale this summer too! Visitors always welcome at the farm!! the
Thank you to all for the kind comments on our Hampshires at NAILE! We are delighted that Held’s Hampshires genetics were well represented in the 2024 National Hampshire Jr and Open shows. Thanks to all our customers for adding Held’s Hampshires into breeding programs and show strings in 2024!
Special thanks to Clay Schoen and Deb Pullin-Van Auken for your excellent assistance to Mary and I at NAILE! are that Hampshires genetics customers and AURORA, SD 57002
New Open Class Sheep Barn at the South Dakota State Fairgrounds –“The SHED”
Attention all Sheep Exhibitors - We want to extend a special invitation to all sheep exhibitors to come to the Open Class Sheep Show at the 2025 South Dakota State Fair for the inaugural show in The SHED.
For 135 years, the South Dakota State Fair has been a place to celebrate youth and agriculture and the Open Class Sheep Barn has been a part of that celebration. It held many memories and has been an important part of the culture of the South Dakota State Fairgrounds. But since the old barn had outlived its useful life, it was taken down in the fall of 2021. To make sure the camaraderie, world class shows, and celebrations carry on for generations to come, a task force of sheep industry and fair representatives was formed to plan a new sheep and multi-purpose facility to replace the old sheep barn. On April 6, 2022, the first meeting of the “New Open Class Sheep Barn Committee” was held. That was the start of over two years’ worth of meetings, designing, fundraising and ultimately a visit to the State Legislature to secure the final dollars needed for the building. The perseverance of the committee, the support of the SD Legislature, and the generous donations from individuals and businesses led to the official groundbreaking for The SHED on August 29, 2024. Construction is well under way and will be completed in time for the 2025 South Dakota State Fair. The SHED will be a multi-use facility to showcase the fair’s world class sheep exhibitors, their breeds and to accommodate other events. It will be covered by an acre of rooftop, a show arena, 400 pens, concrete flooring and restrooms.
The SHED will not only house the sheep but includes an indoor education center which will be used for interactive learning, information on the sheep & wool industry and SD’s rich agricultural history. Plans are being made for events to be held in the Education Center and displays are being developed for a special Children’s area.
The SD State Fair Open Class Sheep Show will offer an option for a split show format in The SHED which will shorten the stay for most exhibitors. The show schedule has been planned so those exhibiting at the Nebraska State Fair and/or the Minnesota State Fair can include the South Dakota State Fair in their show circuit. Session I will include primarily wool breeds, and Session II will include meat breeds. While the exact schedule is still being fine-tuned, the 2025 Sheep Exhibitor Handbook and online registration will be available April 1 st at www.sdstatefair.com/participate, and will contain all of the details needed. We encourage you to take a look at this schedule and consider joining us for the shows to be held in The SHED.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to:
Open Class Sheep Superintendent – Rufus DeZeeuw at 605-690-8269
Asst. Superintendent – Patty DeZeeuw at 605-690-5639
Asst. Superintendent – Mary Held at 605-690-7032
We are excited about our new facility and the opportunities it will offer and look forward to having you join us for the shows in 2025!
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FOR BOTH LAMB AND EWE
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HELPS AID IN EARLY FEED ADOPTION IN LAMBS
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The small pellet size and high fat content provides for a highly palatable ration that helps get those lambs off to a great start and keeps ewes in optimal condition before and after lambing.
Purina® Delta Lamb & Ewe Breeder DX30 contains Deccox® to help control coccidiosis, Ammonium Chloride to help prevent urinary calculi and added Vitamin E and Selenium.
Longtime Hampshire breeder Dixie Harms, Canby, Oregon, passed away on January 5, 2025 after a long illness. She battled MS for more than 30 years, “kicked cancer’s ass” (her words), and eventually Alzheimer’s. She tackled all of life’s challenges with spirit and spunk — “It is what it is” was not only one of her favorite catch phrases, it was the way she approached life.
Dixie was born in Eugene, Oregon in 1942 to John and Thelma Hill, the third of their four children. Born into a ranching family, she developed her love of livestock early on — her first love was her horses she raised on her family’s ranch. She even took her horse with her to college at Oregon State!
Her family also showed sheep, and she met her future husband, Dr. Michael “Doc” Harms, at the Oregon State Fair. They were married on January 29, 1961.
Dixie supported Mike’s veterinary practice throughout the years as a vet tech and office manager, and retired from the City of Canby’s Planning and Building Department.
Along with Mike and her children and grandchildren, she showed Hampshire sheep throughout Oregon and the Western U.S. Known for her love and devotion to her family, Dixie was often found around sheep show rings supporting her kids and grandkids, and was a “fair mom” to hundreds of 4-H and FFA members over the years.
Dixie is survived by her husband, Mike, daughter Kelly (John Niedermeyer) and son Scott (Katie), grandchildren Erin (Kelly and John), Luke and Ellie (Scott and Katie), and sister Karol, along with several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Sharon, and brother Jack.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO
ALL 2024
NATIONAL HAMPSHIRE SHOW EXHIBITORS!
Sadie became the 6th generation of both the Pullins and Harpers (Mary Esther’s family) to show Hampshires when she showed Stacie in the national junior show. She LOVES the sheep and is a bright and rising star!
Barbie was a star in our show flock the past two years. In 2024, she was 3rd in class 2 at the national show, 2nd in class 1 at Iowa and 6th at Minnesota. She is out of a Bobendrier ewe and our homegrown ram Mr. Social. We are excited to watch her during lambing season!
Our February ewe lamb Stacie is Barbie’s full sister. She placed 1st at Minnesota and was 6th at the national junior show. Her twin brother Kenneth is turning into an impressive ram, and inquiries about him are welcome. Watch for Stacie in our 2025 show flock!
