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10/07
Wensleydale Sheep Association Breed Notes
by Joanie Livermore, Vice-President

An Honor Bestowed

The Natural Colored Wool Growers Association (NCWGA) held their 2007 National Show at the 33rd annual Black Sheep Gathering (BSG) in Eugene, Oregon this past June. The BSG is the best-known and largest fiber show on the West Coast, drawing visitors and animals from many western and central states.

The sheep and goat shows always draw an enthusiastic crowd, so cheers of approval rose when NAWSA President Barbara Burrows was presented with NCWGA's Lifetime Achievement Award, at the conclusion of the colored wool shows. First awarded to Glen Eidman, this prestigious honor was next given to Morris Culver in 2003. Barbara's award included lovely hand-carved wood figures of a ewe and lamb mounted on an engraved platform.

The North American Wensleydale Sheepbreeders Association (NAWSA) extends warm congratulations to Barbara on her well-deserved tribute. Barbara says NCWGA and Wensleydale sheep "complement each other" because colored Wensleydales can be shown in NCWGA shows; and the breed adds a new dimension to those shows in return.

Having just returned from the Tulsa State Fair in Oklahoma at the time of this writing, Barbara said fairgoers were impressed by the white and colored Wensleydale sheep shown & displayed at Tulsa this year, and the Champion Longwool Ewe was a Black Wensleydale!

A First for NAWSA

On September 22nd, the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival (OFFF) in Canby, Oregon held the first all-Wensleydale Show in the United States. The required 5 breeders and 20 sheep were mustered with the encouragement and hard work of NAWSA member Lois Olund who raises Wensleydales in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Lois and her business partner also make and market beautiful products from Wensleydale wool.

This first show was a learning experience for everyone, including the Wensleydale lambs who had never seen a show ring before! OFFF sheep judge Martin Dally was the perfect choice to judge this show because he knows the breed well. Martin gave the audience details of the breed's long and interesting history as he inspected the beautiful fleeces of the show entrants.

By the time this article is printed, Wensleydale breeders who are upgrading will have had their ewes bred via L.A.I. and will be looking forward to spring lambs. They hope to have more purebred (96% and above) American Wensleydales to display in 2008.

8/07
Wensleydale Sheep Association Notes
by Joanie Livermore,  Vice-President

The North American Wensleydale Sheepbreeders Association (NAWSA) is proud to announce the birth this spring of the first purebred Wensleydale lambs in the United States. Myrtle and Roy Dow of Black Pines Ranch of Eaton, Colorado brought one of these lovely lambs to The Black Sheep Gathering, in Eugene, OR this year. This represents the fruition of an 8-year effort to 'create' the breed here in North America, since importation of live sheep from Europe is not possible.

In 1999, in cooperation with the British Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders Association, a rigorous upgrade program was designed, using Cotswold or Lincoln
foundation ewes bred by A.I. with imported frozen semen from top Wensleydale sires in the UK. Since that time, NAWSA members have been working to produce sheep that are indistinguishable from the native Wensleydale sheep of Britain.

 On June 23, NAWSA held its annual meeting at the BSG. Highlights were:

In-depth discussion of practical details encountered in the breed upgrade process. It's been fascinating to watch the changes in each progressive generation on the way to what we will consider "purebred" American Wensleydale sheep (96% and above). Breeders await the ever-higher percentage lambs each spring, wondering what they'll be like. It was again time to decide what small features will or won't be allowed by the registry, such as spots and fleece coloration.

We all agreed that our sometimes-impatient adherence to the robust program we created has been worth the incredible results. Our high-percentage lambs are showing the striking facial, fleece and body size traits inherited from this majestic and largest  British breed. In spite of Black Pines' prized new lambs, most of the Wensleydales in the USA are still "percentage" animals and members look forward to future "purebred" lambs.

Plans are underway to qualify for the first exclusive Wensleydale breed classes at BSG next year. We hope to assemble the 5 breeders and 20 animals required to fill a show ring with both percentage and purebred Wensleydales.

The prestigious BSG show is always bustling with activity but this year it hosted the Natural Colored Wool Growers' Association (NCWGA) National Show. NAWSA members brought their colored Wensleydales into the ring for the Colored Longwool classes, and walked out with some ribbons! White Wensleydales did well at BSG this year too, with Best White Longwool Ram and Best White Longwool Ewe going to Karen & Jim Tipple of Juniper Haven Farm in Prineville, Oregon.

We encourage Banner readers to investigate the Wensleydale breed. If you've ever thought about using a Lincoln or Cotswold ram in your production flock to enhance both wool traits and frame size, consider a Wensleydale buck--a truly dual-purpose crossing sire with the great frame size and spectacular fleece traits that have earned it a 200-year reputation in Europe.

6/03
We are pleased to have secured the services of John Savage of accuRegister to maintain our registry's data and to issue certificates of recording and registry on our animals. In addition to generating comprehensive registration forms containing custom information such as animal percentages, type of conception and a 5-generation pedigree, accuRegister can also provide members with personalized information on their own flocks. We feel confident that through the use of this professional service, the records of the Wensleydale upgrading program will be complete, accurate, and accessible.

7/01
U.K. Foot and Mouth Epidemic
The Wensleydale Association in the U.K. regrettably reports that the following Wensleydale flocks have been culled: Flocks 966, 1041, 1084, 961, 936, 569, 932 and 1094.

U.K.National Scrapie Plan
Association members in the U.K.were advised of their Government's proposals for a National Scrapie Plan (NSP) which aims to reduce and eventually eradicate Scrapie from the National sheep flock. Their Association reports, "Not surprisingly, the introduction of the scheme has been delayed by the Foot and Mouth epidemic. Phase 1 of the NSP will be the introduction of a ram genotyping scheme, the details of which are to be distributed by the new Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to members of Breed Societies during July. The Wensleydale continues to have the highest genetic resistance to scrapie of all sheep breeds in Great Britain (92% ARR/ARR - R1) and members are advised to complete the expression of interest form and to return it to the new National Scrapie Plan Administrative Center by the required date."

6/01
USDA position
Importing of semen from the U.K. continues to be prohibited due to the FMD situation there, and latest word is that the ban will be in place until the continued outbreaks stop and an undetermined period of time has elapsed. Two Wensleydale rams were collected last fall, well before the FMD outbreak, but unfortunately the semen is still in the U.K.pending relaxation of import/export regulations.

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