The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: kaz on July 20, 2011, 06:49:46 pm
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Decided to take the plunge this year and train as a judge of Ryeland sheep after just breeding them for years. A bit daunting to say the least. First time out is Burwarton show, so anyone out there who normally attends that show, please spare a thought for the poor probationary judge who is quite likely to ruffle a few feathers along the way. :D :D
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That's the fun of it ;D ;D Best of luck with your first outing and remember that the only person you will please on the day is the winner :trophy: ;D
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You can't do much worse than my first Championship appointment. :-[ Living in Aberdeeshire we were a long way from the major shows so my friend hired coaches to get us and the dogs there. This occasion was National Gundog at Builth Wells, we left about 7pm to arrive about 6 next morning, then the same back the next night. Half way down the road, almost at the witching hour, I suddenly remembered that my outfit was still hanging on the back of the bedroom door. :o :'( :'( I had my shoes in my bag but no jacket, no smart trousers, no change of underwear, no top. I crept down the bus to tell Pat, whereupon she howled with laughter, woke everyone up to tell them, the coach driver/owner could hardly drive for laughing, then to my great embarassment she asked for a 'whip round' :-[ I was offered a jacket here, a pair of trousers there, etc Now, since I was a size 18 at that time, it was unlikely that anything was going to fit me so I had no option but to 'phone a friend' who I knew for sure was the same size. :D Our President, Margaret, I knew, was showing her dogs so would be there, so I called her. I could hear Pete screaming with laughter in the background but Margaret was very calm, and said she'd meet me behind the gundog benches with a bag of clothes for me. It wasn't the done thing to 'fraternise' with the judge prior to judging so we observed the unwritten rules and didn't tell anyone till afterwards.(even though in my breed I knew all the dogs almost by their pet names!)
I have never yet lived it down that I judged my first Championship Show in borrowed clothes, and that was 20 years ago!!!!! ::)
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Briliant!
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Good luck, Kaz! I am sure you'll do fine.
Burwarton will be our first show showing sheep with our hill radnors, so we might deflect the gasps of shock from the ryeland ring with the antics of our very badly behaved sheep....then there's the pigs.... :o
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Weyhey - lots of luck Kaz.......maybe I'll enter a Ryeland class later this year then ;) ;D
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Good luck! You'll be fine I'm sure :)
In my breed, especially at the smaller shows, I'm sure they look who's holding the sheep before they judge them. I always wonder if the result would be different if we held each others sheep ;)
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I have to be a probationary for two shows at least, and then if I pass muster onto small shows so it won't probably be this year as quite late in season now. :)
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Good luck! You'll be fine I'm sure :)
In my breed, especially at the smaller shows, I'm sure they look who's holding the sheep before they judge them. I always wonder if the result would be different if we held each others sheep ;)
I was once told by a judge that he could regonise everyones breeding in his class by just looking at the sheep, type of fleece, size, way they are trimmed out etc more difficult i imagine if you are judging multiple breeds. so holding each others might not work, but worth a try!
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Good luck! You'll be fine I'm sure :)
In my breed, especially at the smaller shows, I'm sure they look who's holding the sheep before they judge them. I always wonder if the result would be different if we held each others sheep ;)
I was once told by a judge that he could regonise everyones breeding in his class by just looking at the sheep, type of fleece, size, way they are trimmed out etc more difficult i imagine if you are judging multiple breeds. so holding each others might not work, but worth a try!
Yup, I can do that in my breed. Used to be able to do it with Cockers but they've changed out of all recognition over the last 30 years.