Ok. So, it took over a year to write about the Midwest Stud Ram Sale, but now here’s the scoop. You load up and drive. Set up. Unload. Wait. Show your sheep. Smile and talk. Wait. Look around and network with other sheep breeders. Wait some more. Then, sell your animals at auction. That’s it in a nutshell. Done.
OFF WE GO
The great thing about halter training was that it’s a breeze to get your sheep to the trailer and loaded up. All three of the boys walked leisurely towards the trailer doors. One, two, three, a slight tug and the fiesty rams loaded. With the trailer windows open for ventilation and the doors locked shut we were off to Sedalia, Missouri for the big event; The Midwest Stud Ram Sale.
Now the drive time from our place to Sedalia was only about an hour and a half. It was a boring drive, but we’re lucky in that aspect. Some farms drove from Texas, Maine, Kansas and even Washington State to get to this event. This show was a big deal in the Katahdin world. This is where the big boys came to play.
ARRIVAL AND SETUP
Upon arrival we pulled the trailer as close to the barns as possible. Then, we had to figure out the location of our sheep stalls. Once located we began the tedious job of setting up our site. Bedding, water buckets, fans, electric cords, chairs, hay bags, grain, etc. were hauled from our trailer to our designated area for the set up to begin. Finally, the terrified sheep hop down the asiles to their pens. It was amazing that they actually stayed clean during the ride. That just meant that I didn’t have to get soaking wet at the wash racks. Finally, we got to sit, hang out and wait.
SHOWTIME
The next day, after we spent the night at our farm, we once again drove back to the fairgrounds in Sedalia. Katahdins show the first thing in the morning so we were up bright and early. There was a buzz of activity around the sheep pens as the partitipants fiddled with their consignments. Our yearling rams got fed and groomed too.
People began to fill the benches in order to watch the sheep exhibition. Many of the spectators would be buying sheep for their farms during the auction in two days. Gerrit and I don’t try to pull the wool over anybodies eyes by pretending to know how to correctly show a sheep. We had reached out on line to asked for help and had several aquaintances respond. Off the hook, we only had to lead the sheep to the ring to watch the show unfold.
THE SHOW RING
Sheep, as in dog shows, show in classes according to breed, sex, and age. First, the Katahdin yearling rams appeared in the ring. The class split into two heats because the class was extremely large. Tyler and Charles sauntered into the ring with our two yearling rams. Well, to be fair, one ram sauntered into the ring and the other seemed to prance around. Other contestants were drug, bounced, strolled and marched into the arena. Second, the Katahdins were to stand still, poised for a judge to examine them. Some stood. Sheep rebelled. Some handled well.
Third, all the juvenille rams paraded around to see how they move. Were they well muscled, were the pasterns strong and angled slightly away from the ground, were the animals too fat, did they have along loins?
SPLIT SECOND ELIMINATION
Elimination time was upon us. Anxiety was felt in the arena. Would we place? Would we be overlooked? The sheep closest to the Katahdin standard was selected as the winner. A point of the finger and you’re excused. Our rams placed in the middle of the pack. Not the best, but not the worst.
AND THE WINNER IS
Here he is, the first place ram, this was the winner. He got the blue ribbon that day. The blue ribbon from the first yearling ram group.The judge presented a second blue ribbon in the next grouping of yearling rams, too.
AND WE WAIT
Over the next two days we would wait. We jabbered about Katahdins. We conversed about sheep. Then, we yakked more about the ovine culture. Consequently, Gerrit and I roamed around the fairgrounds investigating sheep. This show had tons of sheep of various breeds to explore.
THE WALKABOUT
We noticed black headed wooly sheep.
Without a doubt we had a fun time. Sheep with wrinkles stared back at us.
Black headeded, wrinkled sheep gawked at us as if we were aliens from another world.
Up and down the hay strewn asiles we strode. Then, back and forth we paraded around the multiple pens making wisecracks at the odd looking breeds. We certainly put in the miles as we traipsed through the barns looking the kaleidoscopic animals.
In this case, we had to snicker at the fluff exquisitely piled on top of some ovine’s large heads. The ewes looked all dolled up, ready to go out on the town.
Hiding in a corner, a ewe dressed in her hoodie. The poor thing might have been embarrassed by her look even though it was meant to keep her clean.
BEASTIES
Awe! I couldn’t get enough of these “minature sheep.” At last, they were the ones I had been dying to locate. We had heard rumors of fluffy, beasties full of cuteness somewhere on the grounds. Presto! Much to Gerrit’s dismay, there they were. Nevertheless, saw these guard pups and, as usual, yearned to take both these desirable creatures back to Rowdy Mountain Farm. I felt a little tug on my elbow. Time to move on. Admittedly, we already had five livestock guardians at home in our pastures.
WALKABOUT CONTINUED
More sheep. Colored sheep. They too were waiting their turn to be taken out of their pen to the auction block. Thus to go to greener pastures with new owners. We headed back to our chairs in order to kick back and wait.
THE WAITING CONTINUES
Finally, back at our display, we talked more about our sheep to anybody that would listen. The candy lured in prospective buyers. Once at our exhibit board folks listened as we spoke about bio-security, feed, sires, rotational grazing and livestock guardian dogs. Gerrit and I conversed, jabbered, chattered and rattled on to anybody that lent us an ear. Then, we waited and waited again.
Finally, after waiting an eternity, it was time for the Midwest Stud Ram Sale Katahdin Sheep auction to begin. We brushed off our rams, got in line according to the assigned order, and waited once again……..
