This past week was my local county's fair. Every year I say I am going to enter something in the fair and I never do. Either I forget the deadline date or I just say, "Oh forget it." This year I was on top of it and entered 2 fleeces: a white Cotswold and a black Cotswold fleece. Now of course since Cotswold is a rare breed and not the "typical" sheep breed one would find at the fair, I was not holding my breath for anything great but one could always hope.
On Thursday evening my good friend Veronica, who I don't know why we are good friends after 20 years cuz she does not even own a goldfish, ventured to the fair for yummy eats and to enjoy the atmosphere ( and so I could show her how to pet a farm animal :).
The sheep and wool show was on Wednesday and to my surprise this is what I found:
In the "White, Handspinner AOB" category, Essex, my beautiful white Cotswold ewe from Nistock Farm in NY won a 1st Place Blue Ribbon!!! I was just too darn excited!!!!!
Of course when I told Essex the exciting news, she just took it in stride.
I got a third place ribbon for Ethan's fleece in the "Black-natural colored fleece" category and I was pleased with that too!
Ethan's fleece weighed in at just over 13# this year! One of the reasons was because I sheared in June due to the lack of cooperation in the weather. Depending on the length of their wool locks in October, I may have all the Cotswolds sheared then.
Of course next year I am going to enter my best Shetland wool too and maybe even a Romney fleece also.
But for now, I am pretty excited about that blue ribbon!
