02—Lancaster Fannins, Saturday, January 15,1983
Lancaster Co. siblings, Southdowns make champion wins look easy
FARM SHOW Twelve-year
old Barbara Rohrer and brother
16-year-old Gerald Rohrer of
Quarryville, Lancaster County,
proved Sunday that showing
Southdown sheep to grand
champion honors is more than just
“child’s play” it’s hard work.
Keeping hold of a jumping,
wooly sheep taxes muscles and
concentration; but all the while
they’re in the show ring, the
Rohrers make their show ring
efforts seem easy, working
smoothly and in unison with their
sheep.
After a grueling five minutes or
so of squatting next to their class
entries on the damp, dark tan bark,
the Rohrers crisp, clean show garb
suddenly becomes a washing task
for mother Ann who accompanies
her youngster sheep showmen to
local and national shows.
With their winnings from Sun
day’s open breeding sheep com
petition, the Rohrer children will
be able to “pay their cleaning
bills,” having captured three of the
four championship purses in the
Southdown show.
It was the first show experience
for Gerald and Barbara’s cham
pion ram, the first place spring
lamb. Alter leaving the show ring,
Barbara explained that the ram
has “championships” in his blood,
having been sired by a Howard
ram that was a national cham
pion’s offspring. The ram’s dam, a
Wedel ewe, also has cham
pionships of her own to boast,
including several at Farm Shows
in the past
Barbara also exhibited the grand
champion ewe of this year’s Farm
Show Southdown competition.
Another homebred entry of the
Howard-Wedel combination, Ann
Rohrer recalled how the lamb
almost died after it reacted ad
versely to a tetanus vaccine. “I
held her for a half hour, and then
all of a sudden she snapped out of
it,” said a grateful and proud Ann.
Brother Gerald was at the head
of the reserve grand champion
ram, and together the Lancaster
County youths showed the blue
ribbon pen of lambs and flock of
the Southdown show.
H. James Shearer of Mountville,
Lancaster County, showed the
reserve grand champion South
down ewe, a spring lamb. Shearer
proudly explained that his
homebred champion Southdown
was special having an “all-
American” Southdown sire and an
“all-New Zealand” dam.
Shearer, who lives on a small, 15-
acre farm in western Lancaster
County, is a long-time sheep
breeder, having had as many as
Menhennett’s Shropshires notch champion titles
This Shropshire lamb got the winning nod and earned the
Grand Champion Ram title for owners Shober-Clavert Farms,
Berlin, Somerset County. Tom Calvert of Berlin joins his
winning animal.
Lancaster Countians Barbara and Gerald Rohrer showed
their Southdown sheep ram entries to grand and reserve
grand honors respectively during Sunday’s Open Breeding
Sheep Show. The two youths who from Quarryville also
exhibited the grand champion Southdown ewe. Barbara
poses with champion ram.
Lancaster siblings’ Southdowns to reserve grand champion
ram honors.
six breeds of sheep at one time of Southdowns, Shearer explained
during the 19505. But today, due to be stayed with the "teddy bear”
urbanization pressures from breed of sheep for several reasons:
nearby developments, Shearer ease 0 { handling; ease of fencing;
said he has cut his flock back to feed efficiency; and dressing
seven Southdown ewes and their percentage which he termed “the
six ewe lambs. best”
Although he formerly iraised Today, said Shearer, he has
Hampshires, Suffolks, Oxfords, more Border Collies on his farm
Lincolns, Cheviots and Shrop- than sheep,
shires, along with roughly 30 head
FARM SHOW Farm Show
championships have eluded An
nette Menhennett for the last seven
years. But on the small arena
tanbark, Sunday evening, the
streak was broken for the
Shropshire breeder.
When the dust settled,
Menhennett’s show string walked
off with two champion titles.
Judge Leroy Boyd, Extension
specialist at Mississippi State,
went with Menhennett’s two-year
old ewe for Grand Champion.
The Chester County exhibitor
collected a second rosette when
her lamb ram notched the Reserve
Grand Champion spot
Menhennett’s registered
Shropshire home flock includes 75
breeding ewes and 30 replacement
ewes.
Both champions will return to
the tanbark for the National
Shropshire Show held during the
Keystone International Livestock
Exposition. Mehennett explained
the 1983 National Show will debut
experimental classes and judging
techniques. A “Shear ‘em and
(Turn to Page D 4)
Barbara Rohrer poses with her grand champion Sout
down ewe while brother Gerald holds plaque at Farm Show.
The reserve grand champion Southdown ram was shown by
Lancaster Countian H. James Shearer, Mountviile. The long
time sheep breeder says he now owns more Border Collies
than sheep, having cut his flock down to seven Southdown
ewes and six ewe lambs
allow i esuils follow
Effe.Dnder 1 Yr.
1 Gerald and Barbara Rohrer, grand champion.
_ _ 2 Mr and Mrs H James Shearer. Mountville. res
1.2 Gerald
Darlene McConaughey, Srmcksburg qj,,.,* McConaughey; 2. Gerald and Bar
-1.2 Gerald Roarer, grand and >»" Rohrer: 3 g^l;
reserve grand champion, 3 Darlene Me- t lnd Rohrer. 2 Darlene
ConJU * h * y McConaughey. 3 David L Harpster
2 Ram Lambs gj 5^
M c«^Da^H.X W^ls^ r g'* ne 1 McConaughey
- 3 2 Dartene .
collects the Reserve Champion Ewe rosette with this ewe
lamb entry.