07/24/2026
OUR HISTORY
COUNTRY FAIR TIME – MAKING MEMORIES TODAY
We took a break from our Facebook posts for a couple weeks while we helped with our local Black Hawk County Fair and assisted Sadie and Weston with their first county fair experience in Warren County.
We entered the kids in the open class show at their local fair to give them more hands-on experience fitting and showing, including letting them experiment with more of the fitting techniques that we can’t open them up to at the state fairs. It didn’t have to be perfect. Any mistakes would grow out by the Iowa State Fair. And, their daycare friends also got to join in the fun (8-10 extra kids helped during the day). Hopefully, by the time Sadie is eligible for 4-H in two years, they will be more confident.
Interestingly, we found that we were the first people anyone could recall that exhibited fitted sheep at this fair. Everyone else slick-sheared their sheep. Not only were the sheep exhibitors interested in our techniques, but people exhibiting other species and regular fairgoers alike were asking about what we were doing. On top of that, everyone was extremely pleased that we had so many young kids helping us. We can typically fit at least one sheep an hour and have two stands going at the same time, but we worked only one stand at what we decided to call “kids’ pace”. We fit six sheep over about ten hours, with a long lunch break. Luckily, it was ideal fair weather!
Additionally, the kids got more hands-on experience in the show ring. We entered in three classes with two per class so each of them could show one in each class. As we expected, we had the only open-class Hampshire sheep; and we started the open show. The judge was extremely supportive and patient with our efforts to give the kids this experience and did an excellent job with them. He was very interested in our flock story, and even announced our 100-year anniversary and commented that the kids are the sixth generation of Pullins to raise and show sheep.
How did the show turn out?
• Weston had the first-place ewe lamb with “Valentina”, born in March. Sadie followed him with “Tallie”, our new Bobendrier February ewe lamb.
• Sadie won the yearling ewe class with “Lydia”, our successful March ewe from last year. Weston placed second with “Nellie”, our February ewe from last year.
• Weston won the ram lamb class with our first lamb born February 23. Sadie was second with our February 25 ram lamb.
• The ram lamb was selected as the overall Champion Hampshire, and “Lydia” was named the overall Reserve Champion Hampshire.
Our county fair story demonstrates all the reasons county fairs are so important including providing experiences for kids and educating the public about sheep. The kids can’t wait until next year!
