Circular dreams

It’s always this time of year when we first start to think seriously about which juvenile animals out of the previous year’s birth class will take up roster spots on the spring show strings. We know it’s going to be a full one — we already have our usual row of pens reserved at the NAAS and Futurity in April — and it’s just a question of who fills in those slots. In most cases, the top one or two animals in each gender and color group (whites, lights, fawns, browns, etc…) for the most part pick themselves and then the internal debate becomes about who, if anyone, might take a third spot in the regular classes. Those juvis will then join the better yearlings (and perhaps a token adult or two) from last fall’s show roster to complete the team of some 25 to 30 critters that will join us on the road this spring representing the bigger CCNF family.

This year of course there is even another layer of intrigue as AOBA to raise more revenue from its show division to foster greater competition, has expanded the Bred & Owned classes to include more age divisions. Under current rules, for example, the bred and owned juvenile light male which we could now enter in a show will be a completely different animal from the group of light colored juvi males which we are also allowed to enter in the regular color classes. I do get it, BTW, that this is also trying to emphasize the importance of a class that other livestock species and their breed organizations hold in very high regard. I’m just not sure how successful it’s going to be? Whether we personally will have enough depth to ever bring an additional 4th animal from any color group to the shows, or for that matter whether we would ever prioritize the B&O classes over the regular color classes (which seems to be part of the new rule’s intent) remains to be seen. Also, for a rule change that seemed like it was/is supposed to aid smaller breeders, I’m not sure that I’m really seeing that, though I would happily be shown otherwise. The jury is out.

Regardless of all of that, we’ve got some decisions to make and then some serious halter training to get started on in the coming weeks. Best guess is that we are looking at a group of at least 20 weaners, none of whom at this writing have ever seen a halter or lead before with roughly a month and a half to go before they are first asked to walk in circles in front of a judge. Though it always requires a bit of prognostication, projecting that a fleece which looks great in late February will still be holding up in April, thankfully the truly great ones usually do. The only question remaining once our selections have been made will be whether we are training the owners of those fleeces on snowy, muddy, or just dirt covered roads, or perhaps some lovely cocktail of all three. They all of course present their own special charms!