There are a thousand steps to get a 4-H project ready for the fair, as anyone who was a 4-Her or in FFA knows. For the lamb project one of the high days has to be when you first take your lamb out of the pen and start practicing for the show. This year we recruited some teaching help in Sarah Ander who is not only an expert lamb showman but also the assistant barn superintendent for the Lake County Fair. The lessons started with how to halter (as you can see we had some trouble in that area) and worked up to "setting up" techniques. The goal is for the showman to stand the animal in a way that best exhibits the animals qualities. For lambs we are showing length of rack, loin and rump and width of their rear. For the judge to get the best view of the lamb the 4-Hers practice spacing and keeping themselves out of the sight line between the animal and the judge. While it sounds simple we will be spending the next 2 months working to be ready for the fair.
Isn't that a sight, 16 lambs!
