Cortland Moseman remembers the first sheep he ever trained.
The animal’s name was Pee Wee.
Then about 11 years old, Cortland worked with the sheep for months so he could show it at the fair. He even won a reserve junior showmanship title with it. The sheep later was sent to market.
“It’s really hard, because all year you’re making this bond with this animal and then you’ve got to give it back,” Cortland said. “It’s like losing a best friend.”
On Thursday morning, Cortland was showing sheep at the Dodge County Fair in Scribner. Now 14 years old and in his third year at the fair, Cortland paused for a moment before leading a breeding ewe, named Dottie, into the show ring.
To prepare Dottie for the event, Cortland said he walked with her twice a day to help her build muscle so she’d look good in the ring.
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Every day, he practiced training her to walk on a halter. He then took off the halter and practiced leading her with his hands only.
The Hooper teen practiced setting Dottie’s feet in the proper position so she’d look good for the judge. He shampooed and put conditioner on her legs before the show.
“That makes their legs look fluffier,” he said.
Dottie typically behaves in the show ring.
“Most of the time, she’s a good girl,” Cortland said. “There’s some days where she doesn’t want to do stuff. There’s been some shows where she just wants to run around, but you can’t let her do that.”
Because she’s a breeding ewe, Dottie won’t go to market like Pee Wee and become food on someone’s table.
Cortland knows how difficult it can be to send an animal to market. But like other 4-H’ers, he maintains a perspective on the situation.
“It’s the circle of life,” he said. “If I work all year long and get them in shape that feeds families in the United States. You have to keep who you’re helping out in mind.”
While Cortland competed in the show ring, 10-year-old Avery Bost was looking after his cross-bred lambs, a wether named Shawn and a ewe called, Flower.
Avery, who’s from Fremont, appreciates Shawn and his name.
“He reminds me of that show called ‘Shawn the Sheep’ on Netflix,” said Avery, referring to the animated children’s TV series. “It’s hilarious.”
Avery likes his own Shawn.
“What I like about him is that he doesn’t go crazy like his sister,” Avery said. “He’s mostly calm, but his sister — her name is Flower — she goes crazy. She runs all over the place.”
Avery has a strategy for getting Flower to calm down.
“Mostly, I just talk to her and tell her that it’s going to be OK,” Avery said. “It works sometimes.”
Avery’s efforts appear to have paid off. He won the 2023 reserve junior showmanship title, third place for a breeding ewe and fourth for a market lamb at the fair.
He shared a few tips for working with lambs.
“You’ve got to take care of them and make sure they’re alive,” he said.
At the fair, Avery’s lambs also were decked out in nylon mesh jackets to help protect them from fly bites.
Avery smiled as he tenderly took Shawn’s head in his hands.
It was a quiet moment for a boy and his lamb and another chapter for 4-H’ers at the county fair.