Plate 1. Eleven-year old Cameron Hunt of T-Highway moves “Rosco” into position in the show ring. Getting set up quickly is an integral part of 4H showmanship.
Sheep
by Joshua Heston
Sheep have been domesticated since antiquity. A powerful symbolism surrounds these animals in a variety of cultures, most notably Judaic Hebrew culture in the Middle East — and consequently sheep figure predominately in the the Christian imagery of Western civilization.
plate 2. Nine-year old Caitlyn Hunt of T-Highway shows “Alex,” a Suffolk / Hampshire cross born March 19, 2013. “He’s not friendly when you’re trying to catch him,” says Hunt. “He’s jumpy and ticklish around his back legs.”
My grandparents raised sheep (along with cattle, chickens and such) and appreciated an animal which produced two paychecks — the selling of wool and the selling of lambs.
Flock animals, my mom remembers, “If you could get one through the gate, all the rest would follow right then.” Not as hardy or independent as goats, sheep often fall prey to predators or disease.
Originally published June 30, 2013
plate 3. Beth Walker, PhD, of Springfield, speaks with nine-year-old Hannah Summers of Hollister about her Shetland named “Cassidy.”
Walker, originally of South Texas, received her doctorate in animal science from Mizzou. She and her husband farm and recently launched a new business — Ozarks Natural Foods — to promote sustainability in local agriculture.
When judging, what does Walker look for? “It depends on the size of the show,” she says. “I look for things like structural correctness, muscle, depth of side, amount of bone, and style.
“For a show like this, it is important each kid gets rewarded for their efforts.”
Daniel & the Ram
Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw,
And, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns:
And the two horns were high;
But one was higher than the other,
And the higher came up last.
Daniel 8:3
Goat breed list:
• Acipayam • Adal • Afghan Arabi • Africana • African Blackhead • Alai • Alcarreña • Algarve Churro • Algerian Arab • Altai • Altay • American Blackbelly • Apennine • Arabi • Arapawa Island • Argentine Merino • Arles Merino • Armenian Semicoarsewool • Askanian • Awassi • Balkhi • Baluchi • Balwen Welsh Mountain • Barbado • Barbados Blackbelly • Basco-Béarnais • Bavarian Forest • Bentheimer Landschaf • Bergamasca • Beulah Speckled-Face • Bibrik • Biellese • Black Welsh Mountain Sheep • Bleu du Maine • Bluefaced Leicester • Bond • Booroola Merino • Border Leicester • Boreray • Bovska • Braunes Bergschaf • Brazilian Somali • Brecknock Hill Cheviot • Brillenschaf • British Milk Sheep • Bündner Oberland • California Red • California Variegated Mutant • Campanian Barbary • Castlemilk Moorit • Cine Capari • Charollais • Cheviot • Chios • Cholistani • Clun Forest • Coburger Fuchsschaf • Columbia • Comeback • Comisana • Coopworth • Cormo • Corriedale • Cotswold • Criollo •
plate 4. Cameron Hunt with “Rosco.”
“‘Rosco’ is very friendly and likes to smell what you are,” shares Hunt. “If you come in with dog scent on you it frightens him and he’ll run to the other side of the pen.
“This is the first time I’ve shown ‘Rosco.’ We feed him a leaf of hay twice a day plus good food. His muscular bottom and his neck expression are his good points.”
Dala • Dalesbred • Dagliç • Damani • Damara • Danish Landrace • Dartmoor • Debouillet • Delaine Merino • Deutsches Blaukoepfiges Fleischschaf • Dorper • Derbyshire Gritstone • Devon Closewool • Devon Longwoolled • Dorset • Dorset Down • Drysdale • Elliottdale • Exmoor Horn • Fabrianese • Faeroes • Finnsheep • Fonthill Merino • Friesian Milk Sheep • Galway • Gansu Alpine Fine-wool • Gentile di Puglia • German Blackheaded Mutton • German Mountain • German Mutton Merino • German Whiteheaded Mutton • Ghezel • Gökçeada • Gotland • Graue Gehoernte Heidschnucke • Gromark • Gulf Coast • Gute • Hampshire • Han • Harnai • Hasht Nagri • Hazaragie • Hebridean • Herdwick • Herik • Hill Radnor • Hog Island Sheep • Hu • Icelandic • Ile-de-France • Istrian Milk •
plate 4. Nine-year old Hannah Summers shows off her red ribbon alongside “Calico,” a Shetland breed only a few months old. “She is a bottle baby and gets hot really easy,” says Summers.
Jacob • Jezerskosolcavska • Kachhi • Kajli • Karacabey Merino • Karakul • Karayaka • Katahdin • Kerry Hill • Kivircik • Kooka • Landais • Langhe • Lati • Leicester Longwool • Leineschaf • Lincoln • Llanwenog • Lleyn • Lohi • Lonk • Luzein • Maltese • Manchega • Manech • Manx Loaghtan • Masai • Massese • Medium-Wool Merino • Mehraban • Merinizzata italiana • Merinolandschaf • Moghani • Montadale • Morada Nova • Mouflon • Navajo-Churro • Nellore • Norfolk Horn • North Country Cheviot • North Ronaldsay • Norwegian Fur • Old Norwegian • Orkney • Ossimi • Oxford • Pag Island • Pagliarola • Pelibüey • Perendale • Pinzirita • Pitt Island • Poll Merino • Polwarth • Polypay • Pomeranian Coarsewool • Portland • Priangan • Qashqai • Qinghai Black Tibetan • Qinghai Semifinewool • Quadrella • Quanglin Large-tail • Rabo Largo • Racka • Rambouillet • Rasa Aragonesa • Red Engadine • Red Karaman • Rhoenschaf • Rideau Arcott • Romanov • Romney • Rouge de l’Ouest • Rouge de Roussillon • Rough Fell • Royal White • Rya • Ryeland • Rygja • Sahel-type • Sakiz • Santa Cruz • Santa Inês • Sardinian • Sar Planina • Scottish Blackface • Shetland • Shropshire • Sicilian Barbary • Skudde • Soay • Somali • Sopravissana • South African Merino • South African Mutton Merino • South Devon • South Suffolk • Southdown • South Wales Mountain • Spælsau • Spiegel • St. Croix (Virgin Island White) • Steigar • Steinschaf • Strong Wool Merino • Suffolk • Sumavska • Swaledale • Swedish Fur Sheep • Swiss Black-Brown Mountain • Swiss White Alpine
plate 4. Seven-year old Kenzie Calhoun of Taneyville with her “mostly South African Dorper” named “Lamby.”
“‘Lamby’ has a sweet disposition and stands well,” relates Calhoun.
• Targhee • Teeswater • Texel • Thalli • Tong • Touabire • Tsurcana • Tunis • Tuj • Türkgeldi • Tyrol Mountain • Uda • Ujumqin • Ushant • Valais Blacknose • Van Rooy • Vendéen • Walachenschaf • Wallis Country Sheep • Waziri • Weisse Hornlose Heidschnucke • Welsh Hill Speckled Face • Welsh Mountain • Welsh Mountain Badger Faced • Wensleydale • West African Dwarf • White Horned Heath Sheep • White Karaman • White Suffolk • Whiteface Dartmoor • Whiteface Woodland • Wiltshire Horn • Xalda • Xaxi Ardia • Xinjiang Finewool • Yankasa • Yemeni • Yemen White • Yiecheng • Yoroo • Yunnan Semifinewool • Zaghawa • Zagoria • Zaian • Zaïre Long-legged • Zakynthos • Zeeland Milk • Zel • Zelazna • Zemmour • Zeta Yellow • Zlatusha • Zoulay
From www.Ansi.OKState.edu
Photo credits: J. Heston. All Plates, Taney County 4H Fair, Forsyth, Missouri (06/13/13). State of the Ozarks © Archive. June 20, 2013
Original 1918 4H Pledge:
I pledge…
My Head to clearer thinking, My Heart to greater loyalty, My Hands to larger service, And my Health to better living, For my club, my community and my country.
— Otis E. Hall of Kansas
4H Taney County Animal Show, 2013
Thanks to the hard work of folks like Cassandra Nebena, Ken and Kimberly Dixon, a handful of supremely qualified judges and a growing number of dedicated kids, the 4H program in Taney County is making a comeback. Despite the tourism in our area, agriculture still plays an important part of our economy and culture.
It is a valuable place for these kids to share, to learn, and to be recognized for their efforts. Raising animals is hard work, requiring everyday responsibility, dedication and education. It is work which teaches us a great deal of science, compassion, common sense and a sense of reality far removed from most “reality” TV shows.
