A24-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 21,2002
York Fair Hosts Full Slate Of Sheep Shows
MICHELLE KUNJAPPU
Lancaster Farming Staff
YORK (York Co.) The York
Fair recently hosted several days
of sheep show action, including
junior and open breed shows at
tracting sheep of all varieties.
In the open breeding show, su
preme champion wool ewe hon
ors went to Butch Carpenter, Jef
ferson, Maryland. His ewe first
took first place in the 1-year and
under 2-year-old class. Brian and
Doris Snyder, Reading, took
home supreme champion wool
ram with their spring ram lamb.
In a showdown between the
Cheviot, Hampshire, and South
down rams the three sheep
that judge Tim Hall picked out of
a championship drive of meat
breeds a homebred Hampshire
owned by RJR Hampshires got
Travis Flory, Red Lion, won supreme champion ewe
placing at York Fair’s junior breeding sheep show. He is
joined by Krissy Stem, Fawn Grove.
the nod for supreme champion
ram of the meat breeds at York
Fair’s open breeding sheep show.
Dick, Becky, and son Jay Ris
hel. Seven Valleys, raised Elwood
on their 17-acre farm of 40 head
of sheep.
The ram was also champion at
the Maryland State Fair. A twin
brother of the animal has also
garnered good show placings,
according to the Rishels, who are
deciding which of the two rams
to keep on the farm. Jay Rishel
started raising Hampshires in
1995, and the family has built the
flock from those beginnings.
Besides the York and Mary
land State Fairs, the family exhi
bits sheep at Keystone Interna
tional Livestock Exposition
(KILE) and the national Hamp
shire show at the North Ameri
can International Livestock Ex
position (NAILE). They also sell
lambs to 4-H’ers, mainly as
breeding sheep projecs.
“We’re interested in helping
kids get started in that respect,”
said Dick Rishel. Watching their
animals shown in the ring by
young exhibitors is interesting
and fun, according to Becky.
In the ewe show of the meat
breeds, Jen Flinchbaugh’s South
down exhibited the best pattern,
style, and productivity potential
for a ewe, according to judge
Hall, who named the ewe su
preme champion.
Flinchbaugh, 21, a senior at
Penn State, has been showing
sheep for 16 years and has shown
cattle and hogs in the past. Her
homebred, “Sheila,” is part of a
30-head flock that includes
Southdown and crossbred sheep.
She is the daughter of Ed and
Lou Ann Keeny, York, and is
studying animal science at the
university. She plans to move on
to law school to study agriculture
law. The Farm Show, KILE, and
Maryland State Fair are other
shows on Flinchbaugh’s circuit.
Tim Hall, Dalmatia, Northum
berland County, judged the
breeding show of the meat
breeds. Hall works as a flock con
sultant for Lauden Acres Dorsets,
a 150-brood ewe operation.
In the junior breeding sheep
show, Travis Flory, 17, Red Lion,
won supreme champion ewe
placing in the junior breeding
show with his homebred. Rebecca
Butt took home supreme champi
on ram placing in the same show.
(Turn to Page A 25)
Jen Flinchbaugh, York, and homebred Southdown
“Sheila” took home supreme champion ewe placing at
York Fair’s open breeding sheep show. She is Joined by
her father, Ed Keeny.
Becky and Dick Rishel, Seven Valleys, exhibited the su
preme champion ram, a homebred Hampshire.