[steve_pr]

Just downloaded the Show Guide for the Royal Welsh Spring show at Builth Wells on 18/19 May.  We went last year and found it really useful.  This year is a bit different however, we actually want to be on the other side of the fence as it were and show our sheep (week!).


However, and I realise this is a very stupid question, I'm a little confused over exactly what constitutes "2 years old and over".  There are classes for Shearling Rams and Rams "two years old and over". But does the date run from date of birth (in which case a ram born in say March 2011 would be a little over two years old, but would only have been sheared the once (which is my understanding of a shearling) since the breed are shown in fleece and sheared in June usually). Or would the said Ram actually be classed as "two years old and over" and only rams born in 2012 (which would not generally have been sheared by May 2013) would be eligible for the shearling category!


Don't want to enter in the wrong place!!

[Hillview Farm]

Call the show organisers! I'm sure they could answer the question or point you in the right dirrection of who to ask

[Hazelwood Flock]

I can help you with this, all of us who show have been 'in the same boat' so happy to pass on the knowledge!
A lamb is a sheep shown in the calendar year of it's birth, so born in 2013 (except some down breeds who lamb sept the previous year eg Poll Dorsets)
A shearling is a sheep in the calendar year after it's birth, so 2012 born lambs are now shearlings.
Two shear and over sheep are sheep born in 2011 or before.
Hope this helps and good luck 

[VSS]

As Hazelwood said,

Two year old or over = animals born in or before 2011
Yearling = animals born in 2012.

Go on and enter - it is a great show! We went there for our very first taste of showing in 2006 and came away with section champion and reserve! Only took two sheep!

Very friendly and great fun. Goo for the family too - our youngest was only three the first year we went. Everyone looks forward to it and it has become our annual family holiday.

[steve_pr]

Thanks for all this - makes it clear.  At least I know I only have senior rams now! Now all I have to do is decide how many and who to take and get the entries in!


Come and say Hi! in the Sheep Hall!


We wil be the ones with the VERY woolly sheep (Greyface Dartmoors)!

[Hazelwood Flock]

A tip for showing GFDs in the wool - pick sheep whose fleeces part easily, as each lock needs to be separated so the fleece lifts and parts nicely allowing a view to the skin, felted fleeces are no good!

[steve_pr]

Hey, thanks for this!  All tips gratefully accepted. Just like lambing for the first time, showing for the first time is going to be a HUGE learning experience, and any rosettes will just be the icing on the cake.


There is no GFD class at the Royal Welsh Spring Show this year - so we are bundled in with all the other Rare Breed Longwools - so I guess that means it is very dependent on what takes the judges fancy - but after all, that it the name of the game!

[Hazelwood Flock]

In that case be more focussed on body condition, as many of the other longwools are fat! Only DSBA judges properly appreciate the fleece, so with a non GFD judge you can just pick a sheep with good body condition and an even fleece that is not matted. Wash off the legs/belly/bum with a hosepipe (NEVER use shampoo!) a month before the show, and trim the wool sraight accross the bottom of the tail giving it a nice 'bob' appearance a couple of days before with a last minute trim to level before going in the ring. Look up the Devon County Show gallery on Rob Cadd Photography's website (Sheepshots) this will give you an idea of how in the wool GFDs should look for show. Hope this doesn't put you off! 

[steve_pr]

Thanks again!  Not that I don't believe everything you say, but just out of interest, what happens if you use shampoo?

[Hazelwood Flock]

It strips the lanolin from the fleece and makes it really frizzy, so there's no definition to the coat just a big fuzz ball!