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‘Tis the season
It’s the most wonderful time of year for Trenton Melhorn and his sister, Shaylyn — sheep shows have begun
| By Chris Villines |
7/2/2012 |
Trenton Melhorn’s introduction seven years ago to the world of livestock-showing was a drag. Literally.
At the Putnam County Fair in Cookeville, a then-7-year-old Trenton led his Suffolk ewe out to the ring while keeping in mind the instruction grandfather Bob Melhorn had given to him.
“I told him that whatever he did, not to let go of that sheep,” recalls Bob, known as “Papaw” by his grandkids. “He didn’t, but the sheep spun around and took off running. There was little ol’ Trenton with a headlock on this sheep, holding on for dear life. He had a cowboy hat on, and it got smashed. I never will forget that; we got a big kick out of it.”
Looking slightly embarrassed at the memory, with — of course — a sheepish grin on his face, Trenton, now 14 and sturdily built, says the excited animal “dragged me all over the ring” during that unforgettable debut. But since then, he and his 12-year-old sister, Shaylyn, who’s been showing for the past five years, have established themselves as top competitors at the annual Tennessee Junior Livestock Exposition, several area fairs, and other exhibitions. The talented siblings raise a flock numbering 80 head of purebred registered Suffolk and Tunis sheep on the 70-acre farm of Bob and wife G.G. in Morgan County’s Oakdale community. Last year alone, Trenton and Shaylyn participated in some 16 events each, winning $2,000 apiece in prize money and nearly sweeping the top awards in the Suffolk division at Expo’s Breeding Ewe Show with the grand champion, champion bred-by-exhibitor, reserve champion bred-by-exhibitor, and champion flock.
The schedule gets so hectic from June to September each year that their mother, Bretta — Bob’s daughter — says the family sometimes shuttles immediately from one event to the next with as many as 20 sheep in tow.
“There’s a lot of work that goes into showing animals … a lot,” explains Bretta, who, like her father, showed livestock as a youngster. “We were at the Lincoln County Fair [in Fayetteville] last year, and when we finished showing and loaded up, it was almost 1 a.m. We immediately drove from there to the state fair in Nashville to get the sheep ready for a show at 8 a.m. We wound up getting two hours of sleep in the horse trailer before the show.”
But each Melhorn agrees that the hard work and heavy eyes are worth the end result, and the excitement of show season and hearing their names called as winners rivals that of opening presents on Christmas morning.
“A lot of times, I’ll win one division, and Trenton will win the next one,” says Shaylyn, who also shows Hampshire hogs at 4-H shows, as does her brother. “There’s a lot to do to prepare for a show, but I enjoy all of it. Shows are so exciting, fun, and cool. And I like winning ribbons and money!”
Trenton says he, too, enjoys the perks that come with being a top exhibitor, adding that there are also intangible benefits to be gained.
“I just like going out there, having fun, and making friends,” he says. “I get a kick out of helping other people show their sheep. I showed for about three different people at the Tennessee Valley Fair [in Knoxville] last year.”
Shaylyn stresses that one of the keys to doing well at shows is knowing what the judges are looking for.
“With a breeding ewe, they’re looking for how much meat is on them, how clean they are, and how they walk,” she explains. “You have to be calm and patient when you’re teaching [the sheep] how to lead. You have to realize that they’re babies and that it’s their first time to do this.”
Brother and sister often show against each other in the same division. And as would be expected from two athletes — Trenton plays on Oakdale School’s baseball team while Shaylyn is on the middle school basketball squad — the competitive juices can start flowing.
“We’ll be telling each other, ‘I’m gonna win,’” says Trenton.
“He likes to talk smack sometimes,” counters Shaylyn as she grins at her brother.
They may not agree on how they’ll place, but one thing the Melhorns don’t quibble over is the top-notch care they provide to their flock. The Scott Morgan Farmers Cooperative customers use Co-op’s complete line of sheep and lamb feed products to provide the animals with optimum nutritional quality. Their feeding program includes Co-op 13% Pelleted All-Purpose Sheep Feed (#93303), Co-op 16% Coarse Lamb Grower-Finisher (#359), Co-op Sheep Goat Mineral with Zinpro (#683), and Co-op Show Lamb Feed (#93531), which is designed specifically for competition animals. The show feed is a fully fortified ration with selenium yeast and vitamin E to help support the immune system, steam-rolled corn and barley as energy starters, and multiple sources of high-quality protein to aid lambs in reaching their genetic potential.
“You’ve got to have the right mixture and the right amount of fiber, vitamins, and protein for sheep to do well in East Tennessee,” says Bob, who also has a small-scale Angus cow/calf operation on the farm. “Typically, there’s too much humidity for them to do well here. With sheep, you have to have the fiber and a good-quality hay. They like a leafy hay the best. You don’t want them to get too big because that can work against you.”
“And I like the Co-op mineral better than any I’ve ever fed,” he adds. “It gives them the look that they need. I feed 50 pounds of the mineral every three weeks.”
While “Papaw” handles the purchasing of the flock’s feed and animal nutrition products, the kids pay him back by doing well in the shows, grooming the flock, and performing various other duties around the farm. The Melhorns all agree that being around this agricultural environment is the greatest learning tool a young person could have.
“My grandkids care for their sheep, have their own chickens and sell the eggs, and have their own garden,” says Bob. “I can trust Trenton to run any piece of machinery on this farm. And 4-H has been a big help to them, too. I praise it 100 percent and wish more kids would get involved.”
Trenton and Shaylyn each say that farming is foreign to most of their friends. At many of the shows they attend, they are the only participants from Morgan County.
“My friends are interested in playing video games and watching TV,” says Trenton. “I do that some, but not a whole lot. I would much rather be up here riding my horse, putting hay down, or helping Papaw around the farm. I love it. Hopefully, one day I’ll get to run it.”
Shaylyn, who recently won first place statewide in her age division for her 4-H sheep project, says most of her classmates know little about her sheep-showing passion.
“They know that a sheep goes ‘baaaa,’ and that’s about it,” she says, shaking her head.
Shaylyn’s true feelings about her sheep and her life on the farm are best summed up by this excerpt from a paper she wrote as part of her 4-H project:
“I am so grateful for my sheep and what they have taught me through being kind and gentle. I will forever be grateful to have the responsibilities of helping my animals, working with what God provides, and growing new life on this land. This is something I will always honor and hand down to my children and grandchildren.”
For more information on Co-op’s sheep and lamb feeds, talk with your local Co-op livestock experts or visit online at www.ourcoop.com and click on “Animal Nutrition Brochures” under the “Programs” tab.
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