Grand-champion rosette sweetens girl's 17th birthday

Showing off Asher's toned, well-muscled body and long neck earned Rebecca Denning a grand-champion rosette in senior novice sheep showmanship at the Northwest Montana Fair Tuesday.

It was a birthday to remember.

"I turned 17 today," she said with a smile.

Denning accepted a spiffy purple rosette as applause, a lot of baaaahs and the odd oink echoed across the trades building.

Kadin Pritchard, 14, took reserve grand champion showing Spongeback Wool Pants, Asher's brother.

Denning, a senior this fall at Bigfork High School, was a novice in showing sheep, but no stranger to 4-H with five years exhibiting animals from chickens and rabbits to market hogs.

"This was my first year showing sheep," she said. "I was really nervous."

She learned her winning ways as a member of the Grandview Livestock 4-H Club, led by her mother, Michelle Hellwig. Just three years ago, she earned a reserve grand-champion rosette with her market hog.

Denning purchased Asher in the first week of May when he was a wee lamb of about three months.

Then the work began. She found out that lambs hog more free time than her three previous pigs.

"They have to be exercised twice a day and fed twice a day," she said.

Denning halter-broke Asher and Mia, her breeder lamb, early on so she could trot them uphill and downhill as she prepared for the competitions. Feeding required an exact tracking of their weight so she could measure out the proper proportion of molasses-laced oats and barley.

"They have to eat 4 percent of their body weight," she said.

But, as far as Asher was concerned, it was never enough. For a lamb, he's a real pig when it comes to food.

Denning said her ram willingly butts heads with any competitors for the feedbag. Luckily, her lamb has a soft spot, actually an entire cuddly body, for people.

He willingly assumed the show stance with back legs stretched out just so and his front legs squarely under his shoulders. Asher hardly moved as livestock judge Mark Heitsuman ran his hand along his spine and felt his loins.

According to Denning, he was beyond relaxed as she held his head high, not vertical, to exhibit a swan-like neck.

"He fell asleep in my arms," she said with a laugh. "He was really tired - we practiced two and a half hours yesterday."

Asher woke up long enough to push back as Denning pressed her knee against his chest, a move designed to show off the lamb's muscularity. He wasn't much help in the interview portion but, fortunately, Denning needed none.

"The judge asked what he weighed (127 pounds) and what was the best part of his body," she said. "I said his stance and his loins."

As the judge lined up the showmen and their lambs, he complimented all the competitors, saying only a few subtle differences separated their performances. Heitsuman told them to make sure their lambs set up and held the proper stance in future competitions.

"Make sure you have eye contact with the judge," he said. "You have to have one eye on your lamb and one on the judge."

He said they all had the potential to take top honors in showmanship if they keep working at it.

Denning said she invested a lot of time and effort in polishing her performance and perfecting her ram.

"I learned a lot about lambs, perseverance and determination," she said with a smile. "I learned so much in so many areas."

For her two required activities in addition to her lamb, Denning chose wood and leather working. She built an arts-and-crafts style Morris chair, noted for its mortise and tenon joinery, and made moccasins.

She entered both for judging at the fair along with dahlias, another new passion.

"Last year, I knitted a sweater and a hat - they both won Best of Show," Denning said.

IN HER spare time, the high school senior plays varsity soccer and studies hard to prepare for her career goal of becoming a pediatrician. She admits that she savors winning, but said she enjoyed the learning that goes with it just as much.

"The Internet is fabulous" for learning about sheep showmanship, she said.

Denning recommended www.mylamb.com for other aspiring sheep showman. The online community allows 4-H and FFA members to meet and exchange tips for success in the ring.

Dressed in her 4-H prescribed black shoes and pants and crisp white shirt with her hair neatly coifed, Denning seemed a classic role model for the aspiring young Clover Buds as she led her velvety gray and black lamb out of the ring.

Even in her fifth year of competing, Denning said the excitement hasn't dimmed.

"I love the fair," she said, attaching her rosette to her belt. "It's the highlight of my summer."

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com