Sarah Mansfield and Jolene Nelson.
Three Adams County 4-H'ers were recently chosen to receive and show a natural colored ewe lamb (female sheep), courtesy of the Rocky Mountain Natural Colored Sheep Breeders Association (RMNCSBA). Jolene Nelson (12), Bennett, and Sarah Mansfield (14), Strasburg, were selected out of Adams County to receive the ewe lambs from the RMNCSBA Novice Program.
In order to be awarded a ewe lamb, each one had to fill out an application and send it in for review by a selection committee made up of RMNCSBA members. The applicants were chosen based upon their answers on the application, their ability to provide and care for the animal, and their willingness to participate in natural colored sheep activities such as showing the animal and its fleece in one or more shows.
Nelson is a seventh-grader at Bennett Middle School; she enjoys playing basketball, volleyball, and next year she hopes to be on the livestock judging team for Adams County. Nelson plans to keep her ewe lamb for her breeding program.
"I was so excited when I was told that I won the ewe lamb," said Nelson, "when I applied I didn't think that I would have a chance, but I guess I did."
This is Mansfield's seventh year in 4-H, as she has shown wool breed sheep all of those years. She plans to attend Adams County Fair, State Fair, and the National Western Stock Show with her newly acquired ewe lamb. Mansfield has plans of putting her natural colored ewe lamb into her flock of 80 wool breed sheep when the show season is over.
"I really like to show livestock," said Mansfield, "that's why I don't play sports, so I can concentrate on just 4-H and livestock."
This is the fifth year of the RMNCSBA Novice Program. The novice program is designed to promote interest and encourage involvement in raising natural colored sheep. In years past, the program was open to Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. This year was the first year that the program was limited to just five counties within Colorado. (Adams, Boulder, Douglas, Elbert, and Gunnison counties) "After we condensed the program to just five counties we had a really good response, probably the best yet," said Sharon Vair, novice sheep program coordinator, "I think the kids felt they had a better chance to be selected if the program was held on a smaller scale."
To watch these youth show their projects plan to attend the 2003 Adams County Fair. The open class sheep shows will be part of the Platte River Livestock Show held Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26 at the Adams County Fairgrounds. The 4-H sheep show, which is part of the Adams County Fair, is held August 1.
For more information regarding the Adams County Fair please contact Colorado State Cooperative Extension in Adams County at (303) 637-8100 or go to the website www.adamscountyextension.org
For more information, to request an application form, or to submit an application form, please contact:
Sharon Vair
12097 WCR 80
Eaton, CO 80615
970-686-7837
emailto:candsvair@aol.com
