Fleece is the word in this O.C. fair contest

So, how much do ewe know about sheep?

Howard Lewis knows an earful. Lewis judged the juniors sheep show at the Orange County Fair on Thursday, frequently letting spectators know what he was looking for in the stubborn, fuzzy contestants.

“The spring ewe’s very different from the yearling ewe,” Lewis said. “As a judge, it’s really tough to decide which one is best.”

Lewis, who received a degree in agriculture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, has personal experience with the animals he judges. He started showing sheep at age 7 in Madera, Calif., with the Future Farmers of America, and this is his second year judging at the fair.

Lewis judged showmanship, which he said is an examination of how well the exhibitor handles the animal.

“In showmanship we look for the way the exhibitor sets up the animal, if they keep the animal’s feet square and back level, and that they’re able to walk the animal correctly,” he said.

Next came the breeding show, in which Lewis examined the ewes rather than their exhibitors. He said that in a good sheep, he looks at “structural correctness, their mouth, their legs, their massiveness, a normal walk,” and good body proportion.

Lucky for Catlin Cahill, it was her ewes that seemed to have all the right stuff.

Cahill, 18, who has been a member of Future Farmers of America for four years, won five first place ribbons with her sheep on Thursday, making a complete sweep of the competition.

She said her biggest hurdle during the show was simply keeping her ewes in line.

“They just weren’t cooperating; they didn’t want to be here today. Sometimes they have good days, but today might have been kind of an ‘off’ day,” Cahill said.

Despite excitement about her many ribbons, she said she’s concerned about an overall decrease in sheep shows. She said that fewer competitors in recent years are a reflection of how much energy show animals require.

“People who show market animals can be done in 60 days. But these [show animals] take a lot more time and money. I show these animals all year long, into December, not just at a fair.”

Cahill, who graduated from Rubidoux High School in Riverside, looks forward to the coming year. She’ll take a year off from school to show sheep and dairy goats, traveling longer distances to attend shows that previously interrupted her high school schedule. Then she plans to attend Mount San Antonio College and then transfer to California State Fresno.

FAIR ATTENDANCE

Thursday’s crowd as of 6 p.m.: 17,304

Wednesday’s crowd: 36,552

BEST BET

Observe the spellbinding talent of hypnotist Mark Yuzuik at 9:30 p.m. at the Heritage Stage. Free with regular fair admission. dpt.21-fair-CPhotoInfo0V1T5IB620060721j2q6grncCredit: DON LEACH / DAILY PILOT Caption: (LA)Reeba gets a hug from her owner Catlain Rubidoux after taking the “supreme champion” ribbon at the O.C. Fair’s Sheep in the junior competition.