2017 White Pine County Fair - Part 1: Livestock

 After months of feeding, watering, walking, and trying to tame the lamb, it was time to take him to the fair. (We left his companion behind at home because he was a little sick. Thanks to Dave for keeping an eye on him.)

We arrived at the fair on Friday to weigh-in the lamb. Minimum weight was 100 pounds. "Trouble," (Desert Boy's nickname for the sheep) made it in at 101 pounds. He had been having an up-and-down feeding issue the last month and a half, so he didn't gain as much as we had hoped. But at least he made it in. Desert Girl was styling in front of the Sheep and Goat barn.

We entered our other exhibits (coming in the next post), and Desert Boy did Skill-a-thon (answer questions about animals) and showmanship clinic. Then we saw one of the horse races, went to the BBQ dinner, and then went to bed at a local motel. Saturday morning we were up early to get to the fairgrounds and wash the sheep.

Our preparations were rather simple, wash and brush the sheep. We observed others applying shoe polish or hair dye to the sheep's legs to make them darker and ice to the back to make it firmer.

We had a little spare time, so we decided to take Trouble out for a walk.

We had been coaching Desert Boy that if the sheep started to make a run for it, he was supposed to hang on and smile. He listened!

He seemed fairly confident, so we went back to the barn and waited for his class to be called.

Finally, it was time. (This photo is really overexposed, but I love the kids in their 4-H clothes. And the bib number conveniently covered Desert Boy's grass stains from getting drug on the grass earlier by the lamb).

Desert Boy kept his smile on.

Desert Boy weighs considerably less than the lamb, so it wasn't easy for him to control it (spending more time with the lamb before the fair would have helped). But he kept the lamb with him the whole time.

Much to our surprise and delight, he got a blue ribbon!


Then we watched the cousins with their steers. Megan ended up with a nice fourth place finish.

And Kayli, just barely peeking over her steer, had a good sixth place finish (also blue ribbon).

We weren't done yet, it was still time to show again for showmanship. Desert Boy and the sheep were getting along much better by now.

Showmanship was really long, and Desert Boy had a harder time keeping his eyes on the judge and showing his beautiful smile. He finished second to last, but still got a blue ribbon. (Grade inflation seems to have also affected judging, but we won't complain!)

Back in the pen, Desert Boy pretends he's mutton busting. It was a total joke, as after last year's experience with Desert Girl mutton busting and Desert Boy calf riding, neither ever want to rodeo again. And that's quite okay with me, it should help keep us out of the emergency room.

We spent the rest of Saturday looking at the exhibits and wandering around the fair (coming in next post), as well as going to a friend's birthday party and out to dinner.

We got to bed a little late, but still had to get up early to get the sheep ready Sunday morning for the White Pine County Junior Livestock Show and Sale.

The buyers had breakfast provided and then settled onto the bleachers by the covered arena.

Desert Boy with his sheep.

They're getting ready to go in.

Desert Boy kept his smile on. We were lucky to have some friends bidding on the lamb, and Desert Boy got a good price. That money will be going into his college fund.

The sheep still tried to get away, but Desert Boy managed to hold on. And even smile.

Photo with the buyers and the lamb trying to escape again. Thanks so much to the Gonders/Lystrups!

After a little break from the fair to run errands, it was time to go back and load the lamb on the livestock truck that was taking all the market animals away. The kids held up better than me. But later that night, they were very sad.

It still wasn't time to go--we had to clean the stall. Desert Boy looks like he's ready to hit the beach next!

Overall, I think having a 4-H lamb taught Desert Boy a lot about caring for an animal and a little about ranching business. He also gained some confidence about showing an animal.

We are so grateful to those who helped, especially Charlie, Gwendy, Melanie, and Tom.

Right now Desert Boy says he's never going to show a lamb again. We'll re-evaluate after awhile and see if that's still the case. Looking back at some of these photos may make him want to try it again...or maybe not.

A Tribute to Sheep (and the Sheepherders' Gathering Schedule)

Here's one of the traffic jams around here. These are the kind of traffic jams where you might get out and take a photo.

If you've been following my blog for long or read my book Great Basin National Park: A Guide to the Park and Surrounding Area, you know that sheep come to this area every winter. And we're not talking just a few sheep, we're talking thousands, actually tens of thousands of sheep.

Back in November I saw them eating leftovers off the fields.

Most of them were too concerned about eating to look at me, except for one.

The sheepdogs watching these sheep came over to see what I was doing, but when they saw I was just sitting on the ground taking photos and not approaching their sheep, they just laid down and hung out.

It can be a lonely life as a sheepherder, living in a small camp and following the sheep around to very isolated areas. So over a decade ago, Denys Koyle got the idea of having a Sheepherder's Gathering at the Border Inn to celebrate this vanishing way of life.

It's a fascinating gathering, and it starts today. Here's the schedule:

January 16th
5:00 pm Industry Appreciation Dinner
7:00 pm Open Mike Program with Emcee Hank Vogler 

January 17th
6:30-10:00 am Sourdough Pancake & Breakfast Buffet with Dave Okelberry
10:00 am Screening of "Operation Haylift" starring Ann Rutherford
2:30 pm Mary Kaye Knaphus in concert
5:00 pm Basque Dinner ($25/person)
7:30 Sheepherders Ball with the Silver Sage Family Band

For reservations, please call Denys or Gary 775 234-7300

See you there!

Unfortunately it looks like I've gotten sick, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to make any of it. I'm bummed, because the music and food are outstanding, and it's so interesting talking to people who are sheep experts and hearing about their way of life.

Here are links to past Sheepherders' Gatherings:

2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009

If you like sheep, you can see posts I've written about them over the years.

A Special Attraction at the Ranching Exhibit

 I was passing the ranching exhibit, an open-air building with panels about ranching heritage, when I noticed that the exhibit had a special visitor: a sheep! I screeched to a halt (okay, not really, but allow me some poetic license here!), backed up (which it's very handy that the highway isn't busy and I could do that), turned into the parking lot, pulled out my camera, jumped out of the van, and snapped a photo.

 The sheep didn't look like it was in a hurry, so I switched to my telephoto lens and zoomed in. The sheep looked at me once in awhile. Otherwise it didn't seem concerned by my presence.


As I moved around to get a different angle, the sheep decided maybe it was time to leave. That's when I noticed the fantastic iron art up in the building. I've seen it many times before, and every time I marvel at it. It's beautiful and so well done.


In particular I noticed the windmill, which has recently been repaired. It actually turns! Our windy spring has been giving it a good workout, I'm sure. Do you see the cat next to the barn? It's those little details that make this iron art outstanding.

The middle panel shows cowboys moving longhorn cattle, the traditional cattle first brought to the Great Basin, with a wagon pulled by mules following. Just take a look at the lasso, swinging tails, and different movements of the cattle.

The third and last panel has the sheepherder checking on his sheep, with a faithful dog just behind him and the sheep wagon (with spokes in the wheels!) awaiting his return. My photos don't really do the art justice--this is a place you just need to stop at and spend some time admiring. It's about half-way up the hill to Great Basin National Park.

The sheepherder did come later in the day and collect the errant sheep. April is the month when the sheep shearers come and give the sheep a haircut. A most noticeable haircut!

It Followed Them to School One Day

 So after the county fair in August, we still had one sheep left. It was a little underweight, so we decided to keep it for a couple more weeks. Sheep are very social animals, so we let it into the yard so it could socialize a little more. Then it started following us (and the dog) all over. Including to school one day. It had managed to find a way around a fence and then jumped a cattle guard. I was impressed.

The sheep watched with interest as the school bus came.

I think if our dog had gotten on the bus, the sheep would have too.

The sheep also followed us to the swimming hole. The dog and sheep got along pretty well.

And another day the sheep got out and started following Desert Boy to school.

I even got phone calls one morning, Your sheep is walking down main street.
I headed over there and made sure I had a camera ready!

 Life never gets boring!

Sheep on the Road

While I was driving the other day, I had to slow down because these sheep thought they should be on the road. Sheep are just small enough and dull-colored enough that they often blend in with the surroundings, and it can be really hard to see them from a distance. So nearly every time I come upon sheep, I have to hit the brakes rather hard. 

Sheep aren't known for being especially fleet of foot, so it's important to brake for them. Then they take their time meandering, with some getting off the road, while others walk onto it. You can tell they just don't care much one way or another where they go.

I was kind of glad to stop because the scenery was spectacular. The higher elevations are still snow-covered, making the mountains seem so much taller than when the snow melts. I wonder if the sheep ever look up at the snow and wish it were cooler down where they are. After all, they are wearing extremely thick wool coats.

If you ever do get stopped by sheep crossing the road, be sure to roll down your window. Listening them to baaaing is quite enjoyable and will put a smile on your face. Trust me, it will.

Finally they had cleared out of my way. In fact, they almost look like they're taking in the beauty of the mountains. Sheep contemplating. Perhaps that's an oxymoron. Oh well, I was entertained by them.

Dress Rehearsal for the Nativity Play

Merry Christmas! Tonight we will be celebrating by going to a Candlelight Service and Nativity Play. The play will include Desert Boy as a sheep. It will be his first opportunity to be in a play, and I have a feeling he will like it.

Above, he's hanging out with Mary in the stable. Mary is his cousin, so that's why he got invited into the stable. He's a pretty coordinated sheep to be sitting on a stool like that.

The play also features these three adorable angels, who tend to get distracted easily, as you will see.

Desert Boy's cousin Kayli has a solo, which she sings quite well. She is the angel Gabriel, so she had a lot of lines to memorize.

Here she is appearing to Joseph to tell him that his fiancee is with child and that it's okay.

The play is set up so you see most of the cast of characters for the entire performance. King Herod and his messenger are on the far left, the angels in the middle, Mary and Joseph in the stable on the right, and the shepherds and their sheep just off the stage.

The angels appear to have a little attitude here.

Mary and Joseph entertained themselves during slower parts by picking straw out of the manger.

Later the angels appeared to the shepherds to tell them about the newborn king.

The shepherds traveled to the stable to visit.

The sheep was left behind and was content for a little while.

The angels started singing a song...

...and the sheep decided to make a run for it, heading straight for Mama. I wonder if that will happen tonight. It will be dark in the auditorium, so it might make it harder for him to find me.

At the end, the entire cast performed Joy to the World. Minus the sheep who was hanging on to Mama. And another sheep and angel who were napping during the dress rehearsal. I think it will be an entertaining show!

Have a very Merry Christmas!