Champions named in Open Breeding Sheep Show
BY SUZANNE KEENE
HARRISBURG - While most
Farm Show visitors were
congregating in the large arena
Sunday for the opening ceremonies
and greetings from Gov. Thorn
burgh, sheep breeders from across
the state gathered in the small
arena to show their best animals.
As the hours ticked by and
spectators came and went, show
judge Duran Howard of South
western, Okla. scrutinized each
entry carefully before selecting the
champions in each division.
Cheviot
In the Cheviot division, Howard
selected animals owned by Er
denheim Farm as his champions.
The champion ewe was a yearling,
while the ram was a spring ram
lamb. Both champions have been
on the show circuit this season,
placing high in their classes in
most shows, including the
Maryland State Fair.
Reserve champion ewe and ram
and the premier exhibitor award
also went to Erdenheim Farm.
Erdenheim Farm, an estate
owned by F. Eugene Dixon, is
located in Lafayette Hill, Mon
tgomery County, The farm’s flock
of Cheviots usually numbers ap
proximately 200 head, according to
shepherd Marlin Stroh. The farm
also raises Black Angus cattle and
Belgian draft horses.
Mother and daughter display a pair of champion Hamp
shires. At left is Dorothy Brubaker with her top ewe and
Sarah Fleener with champion ram.
Barbara Platt (left) took top honors with her Shropshire
ram, while 12-year-old Arlissa Snavely earned Shropshire
nampion Southdown ram and ewe.
Dorset
Lancaster County’s Margaret
Herr claimed the champion ewe
spot in the Dorset division with a
homebred yearling ewe making its
showring debut. Margaret was
pleased with her success at this
year’s Farm Show, noting, “We
won three of our four classes, so
we’re real happy.”
Margaret also showed the
reserve champion ram.
The champion ram rosette
belonged to a spring ram lamb
owned by Windswept Farm of
Centre County. The homebred ram
is no newcomer to the winner’s
circle; he was champion at the
Keystone International Livestock
Expo in November and placed fifth
in his class at Louisville.
The Downsbroughs, who own
Windswept Farm, also showed the
reserve champion ewe and were
named premier exhitor of the
Dorset show.
Hampshire
In the Hampshire division Clyde
and Dorothy Brubaker of Lan
caster County showed the
champion ewe, while their
daughter, Sarah, and her husband,
Tim Fleener, took home the
champion ram. The Brubakers and
the Fleeners reside on the same
farm and use the same rams, but
have different ewes.
The champions, both homebred
animal*, nave done well on the
show circuit so far. The ram was
named champion at Keystone and
placed seventh in his class at
NAILE, while the ewe placed
second in her class at KILE and
12th at NAILE.
When asked if he had expected
the family’s sheep to win, Clyde
responded, “We knew we had good
sheep and that it would take good
sheep to beat us.”
Tim and Sarah Fleener also
showed the reserve champion ewe
and were named premier
exhibitor. Steward Ebersole and
Son of York County showed the
reserve champion ram.
Shropshire
Twelve-year-old Arlisa Snavely
of Lancaster County claimed the
champion ewe honor in the
Shropshire division with her 4-H
project, “Snowball,” a homebred
spring ewe lamb. The cham
pionship holds special meaning for
Arlisa since it was her first time to
compete in an open show.
“I thought she was good, but that
was a tag class,” Arlisa said,
referring to the 13 other animals in
the Spring Ewe Lamb class.
Charles and Barbara Platt of
Belmont Ridge Farm, Gettysburg,
showed the champion ram, a
homebred spring ram lamb. The
Platts have about 28 Shropshires
and 25 Merinos on their farm.
Reserve championships went to
Tom and Deb McCaffrey of
Chester County with their yearling
ram, and to Joyce Harpster of
Centre County with her yearling
ewe. David Harpster was named
premier exhibitor.
Southdown
Steve Kwisnek of Scenic View
Farm, Indiana County, dominated
the Southdown division of the open
breeding show, claiming both
champion ram and ewe with two
homebred entries. The Kwisnek’s
have been raising Southdowns for
12 years and have been coming to
the Farm Show for years.
Kwisnek also won reserve
champion ewe and premier
exhibitor.
The reserve championship ram
went to David Harpster.
Suffolk
In the Suffolk division, Rachael
Hixenbaugh of Beaver County
showed last year’s Farm Show
champion ewe to still another
victory.
The champion ram belonged to
Pine Haven Farm of Cumberland
County. Pine Haven also showed
the reserve champion ewe and
premier exhibitor honors.
The reserve champion ram
belonged to Circle K Farm of
Bedford.
Corriedale
The Corriedale show this year
was owned by Dale L. Crouse of
Prosperity in Washington County.
During Monday night’s show, he
captured the champion ram and
champion ewe honors, then went
on to be named the premier
exhibitor.
Dale thought he might have a
chance at the champion ram,
however, having the champion ewe
as well was a total surprise.
“This year I decided to bring the
ram to see just how good it was,”
he said. “It was winning con
sistently during the summer but
never really had much com
petion.”
Now Dale hopes to be able to sell
the ram for breeding purposes.
Rambouillet
Cumberland County found its
way into the spotlight in the
Rambouillet competition. Both the
champion ram and ewe are from
that county.
Dianne Conaway of Pine Haven
Farm has been coming to the farm
show almost every year since 1968,
yet this is her first Rambouillet
champion ram.
This summer, her ram “Max”
started making a name for himself
Marlin and Alice Stroh show champion Cheviot ewe and
ram owned by Montgomery County's Erdenheim Farm.
Bill MacCauley shows champion Dorset ram owned by
Windswept Farm. Margaret Herr had champion Dorset ewe
by placing in either the champion
or reserve position at every show.
The reserve champion is owned
by Billy George Leib, age 5. Even
at this tender age he can tell you
virtually everything you want to
know concerning his sheep.
His parent started his flock for
him when he was still in the womb.
This will enable him to have a
competitive flock of his own
breeding by 4-H age.
The results of several large
shows this summer and this year’s
farm show make it appear that he
is well on his way towards that goal
as he was also named premier
exhibitor.
Merino
The Merino breed found some
new and old faces in the spotlight.
The Platts who showed the
champion ewe last year returned
with her to again take that honor.
This ewe is on quite a winning
streak dating back to November,
1984.
The champion ram is owned by
Barbara Falvey of Bedford
County. Barbara has shown at the
Farm Show for the past 4 years.
This year, however she was unable
to do the showing herself, and
ironically this is the year it hap
pened for her.
Judging the three shows was
David Greene, livestock specialist
with the Maryland Carroll County
Extension Agency.
CHEVIOT DIVISION
Yearling Ram
1 Erdenheim Farm 2 Kathy Weaver 3 Andy
Mellott
Spring Ram Lamb
1 Erdenheim Farm 2 Erdenheim Farm 3
Kevin and Malcolm Koontz
Pair of Ram lambi
1 Kevin and Malcolm Koontz 2 M/M Herbert
Rudy 3 Andy Mellott
Champion Ram
Erdensheim Farm
Reserve Champion Ram
Erdenheim Farm
Yearling Ewe
1,2 Erdenheim Farm, 3. Andy Mellott
Spring Ewe Lamb
1 3 Erdenheim Farm 2 Kevin & Malcolm
Koontz
Pair of Ewe Lambs
1 Erdenheim Farm, 2 Kevin & Malcolm Koontz
3 Donna MacCauley
Champion Ewe
Erdenheim Farm
Reserve Champion Ewe
Erdenheim Farm
Breeder's Young Flock
1 Erdenheim Farm, 2. Kevin & Malcolm
Koontz, 3 M/M Herbert Rudy
Flock
1 Erdenheim Farm 2 Kevin & Malcolm Koontz
3 Andy Mellott 71
Premier Eihibitor
Erdenheim Farm < -
DORSET DIVISION
Fall Ram Lamb
1 Margaret Herr 2 G A & MM Downsbfough 3
Peter Levan
Spring Ram Lamb
1 GAS MM Downsbrough 2 3 Peter Levan
Pair of Ram Lambs
1 GA & MM Oownsbrough 2 Peter Levan 3
Kathy Jo Rider
Champion Ram
GA & MM Downsbrough
Reserve Champion Ram
Margaret Herr
Yearling Ewe
1 Margaret Herr 2 GA &MM Downsbrough 3
Peter Levan
Fall Ewe Lamb
1 2 GA & MM Downsbrough 3 Margaret Herr
Spring Ewe Lamb
1 Margaret Herr 2 Peter Levan 3 GA & MM
Downsbrough
Pair of Ewe Lambs
1 GA & MM Downsbrough 2 Peter Levan 3
Kenneth Staver Family
Champion Ewe
Margaret Herr
Reserve Champion Ewe
GA A MM Downsbrough
Breeder's Young Flock
1 GA t MM Downsbrough 2 Kenneth Staver
Family 3 Peter Levan
Flock
1 GA & MM Downsbrough 2 Margaret Herr 3
Peter Levan
Premier Exhibitor
GA & MM Downsbrough
HAMPSHIRE DIVISION
Yearling Ram
1 Steward Eberso! 4 Son 2 Judy Waltersdorff
3 Sandra Troxell
Fall Ram Lamb
12 Tim & Sarah Fleener 2 M/M Clyde
Brubaker
Pairol Ram Lambs
1 Tim & Sarah Fleener
Champion Ram
Tim & Sarah Fleener
Reserve Champion Ram
Steward Ebersol & Son
Yearling Ewe
1,2 Tim & Sarah Fleener, 3 David Lytle
Fall Ewe Lamb
1 Michelle Mylin
Sprint Ewe Lamb
1 M/M Clyde Brubaker 2 3 Tim & Sarah
Fleener
Pair of Ewe Lambs
1 Tim & Sarah Fleener 2 M/M Clyde Brubaker
3 David Lytle
Champion Ewe
M/M Clyde Brubaker
Reserve Champion Ewe
Tim ft Sarah Fleener
Breeder's Young Flock
1 Tim & Sarah Fleener 2 M/M Clyde Brubaker
3 Ellen Lewis
Flock
1 Tim & Sarah Fleener 2 Steward Ebersol &
Son 3 Ellen Lewis
Premier Exhibitor
Tim ft Sarah Fleener j
SHROPSHIRE DIVISION
Yearling Ram
1 Tom ft Deb McCaffrey
Spring Ram Lamb
1 Charles ft Barbara Platt 2 3 David Harp
star
Pair of Ram Lambs
1 Charles ft Barbara Platt 2 David Harpster
Champion Ram
Charles and Barbara Platt
Reserve Champion Ram
Tom and Deb McCaffrey
Yearling Ewe
1 Joyce Harpster 2 David Harpster 3 Ariisa
Snavely
Spring Ewe Lamb
1 Ariisa Snavely 2 David Harpster 3 Charles
ft Barbara Platt
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