UK-Style Sheep Show

With traditional UK show classes, judges, breeds and style, you are well on your way to the whole experience

Will the sheep be slick-sheared, haltered, and posed 4-H style?

Nope.

It is left up to the discretion of the shepherd, however, the NAHSS's stance is this: some sprucing up is welcome, but, sheep will be shown in full fleece.

Pull 'em off the pastures, pick the burrs out, card ‘em up and take a little off here and there, and they’re ready to go!

Sheep coloring is fine as well.

Commercial shepherds do not need to be worried about halter training, slick shearing, or posing American 4-H style.

All sheep of a class will be put into a ring together, and the judge will get to work.

Sheep are shown loose, then when the best are picked for the top line up they are then held and slightly posed.

HERE is a great video of Herdwicks being shown in the UK!

Breeds and Classes

  • The only breeds to be shown are as follows:

    North Country Cheviot

    Scottish Blackface

    Border Cheviot

    Black Welsh Mountain

    Herdwick

    Cheviot Mule

    Scotch Mule

    Bluefaced Leicester

    Border Leicester

    Suffolk

    Texel

    All must be purebred and registered, with the exception of Mules and Herdwick, and have Scrapie Tags.

  • All breeds will have the same classes:

    Ewe Lamb- Born 2024

    Shearling (Yearling) Ewe- Born 2023

    Aged Ewe- Born 2022 or Before

    Ram Lamb- Born 2024

    Shearling Ram (Yearling) Ram- Born 2023

    Aged Ram- Born 2022 or Before

    For every breed from those 6 classes:

    Reserve Best of Breed

    Champion Best of breed

    All Best of Breed Champions compete for:

    Reserve Best of Show Champion

    Best of Show Champion

  • There will 1st thru 4th places in all classes, and they will receive customized NAHSS rosettes.

    Best of Breed Champions and Best of Show Champion will receive trophy cups, in addition to rosettes.

  • Many hill sheep are wild, and the majority of the sheep that will be at the show are commercial ewes that live in their pastures with minimal handling.

    There is always risk when buying, selling, and showing stock, it is inevitable. The UK is proof that large amounts of animals can still be gathered together at shows, auction marts, and so on, and still be perfectly healthy.

    A vet is to check the stock over and give them transfer papers good for travel into the state of Michigan for 14 days. Then, an onsite vet will check all sheep over as they come off the trailer and are put into pens, denying any to be let off if showing any signs of illness, as well as a general walk-about check on days of the show looking for any sheep showing symptoms of contagious illness. They will not be sharing pens with sheep that are not from their farm, and the only time they will even come in contact with others will be very short lived in the ring.

    Everyone is more than welcome to put up light barriers in the pens (tarp, cardboard, etc.) so that they are not nose to nose.

    There is risk by showing at all- come at your own risk, and, most importantly, bring healthy sheep.

    The UK has standstill and isolation rules there: if you move stock on from a market or a show they have to be in isolation for 7 days and no stock can move back off a holding. Feel free to practice that following the show .

    The UK style of showing does not hold more risk than any other show, the only risk-less show is no show.

    Please know that we are taking every possible precaution that we possibly can to protect the sheep, and the UK style of showing is not an alien or outlandish way of showing- only to us Americans!

Sign me up!

How do I register?

Registration is OPEN!

Whether you plan to show sheep, have a vendor booth, or even a food truck, we've got you covered!

Click on the button and create a profile, it saves as you go.

You don't have to enter sheep in yet, but, it let's us know you are coming!

We not only have lamb classes, but also shearling (yearling) and aged classes (2+years)- if you know you're bringing specific sheep already, go ahead and add them as an entry to your profile.

You don't need to pay yet (you can keep adding and pay as you go), BUT there is currently an Early Registration rate!

Keep watching the Facebook group for more updates!