ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Rambouillet class sheep were the primary breed winners in the wool judging competition on Thursday night at the farm show. The Leib family Bob, Suzie, and Billy swept the major awards, winning Rambouillet pre mier exhibitor, breeder, and all grand and reserve Rambouillet The Bow family Ben, Mary, Melanie, and Benjamin display their premier champion awards and their Corrledale grand champion ram. Billy Leib’s Wins Wool sheep championships, along with the supreme wool championship. “We have an excellent breed, and we were careful in how the sheep were selected and bred,” said Suzie Leib. “The fleece have few flaws, and it is difficult to get fine fleece.” The Leibs have been raising sheep for 24 years, and raising Rambouillets for about 10 years. ‘ ‘The Rambouillet is the backbone Champ Breed Rambouillet Breed Suprerrr Ch of the American sheep industry, and we were careful in breed selec tion, primarily for the sheep’s meat and muscle,” said Bob Leib. Judge James Elphick of Arling ton, Wisconsin admitted to having a ‘ ‘hard decision’ ’ to make, ‘ ‘espe cially between the ewes and rams in the wool breeds for the supreme champ.” In the end, Billy Leib, 9, won for his yearling ewe, which had won the junior sheep breeding championship Wednesday night. “It was a lot of work to bring her up,” said Billy. “We put a lot of feeding and care into her.” Corriedale Melanie Bow, 21, had never shown her Corriedale at any previ ous show. The fuzzy, deeply tan ram became the Corriedale grand champ, as a result of careful breed ing and a lot of care. “He is the result of about six years of selection, and we are only now getting the results,’’ said Melanie. “We picked him out of SO lambs, which was a good bit of luck.” The Bow family—Melanie, her father Ben, and her mother Mary have been fanning for about 21 years. Not only did they capture the grand champion Corriedale, but also won the champion Corrie Lancaster Farming Saturday, Jmmry 20,1990-D9 Bllly Leib, 9, shows off his Rambouillet reserve champion ram. dale ewe, exhibitor, and breeder awards. “She’s a good showgirl,” said Mary Bow, Melanie’s mother. “We’ve been hard at work from eight this morning to almost five this evening, trimming away. We gave the sheep a great deal of care.” Judge Elphick was impresssed with the rams exhibited in this class. “The front feet and the way they stand are exceptional,” he (Turn to Page DIO)
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers