I'm a Big Boy Now..."BLUFF COUNTRY AMERICAN IDOL"

Meet my magnificent yearling ram ~ Bluff Country American Idol.
(BC Dusty Rose X BC Black Diamond).

This is what I like my ram lambs to grow up to look like!

Idol almost didn't make it to become a yearling ram. I had decided that I wasn't going to winter over any extra ram lambs and was loading up the two I had left, to take them to the butcher. (I know ~ I'm sorry) When I went to put a halter on Idol, I was struck by how wonderfully soft his fleece was. I had always thought he was gorgeous ~ conformation wise ~ but when I felt that fleece, I knew I had to give him a chance to pass on his genetics. Hence, American Idol lives on!

If you're looking for a SHOW QUALITY, black ram, who carries spotting genetics (and moorit), consider American Idol. Not only is he extremely correct, conformation wise; he has awesome horns, beautiful, intermediate fleece, a great tail and a sweet, gentle personality!

I will be showing Idol in the Yearling Ram class at the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, in Jefferson, WI., in September. From there, my hope is that he will move on to a new home where he will sire many beautiful, Shetland lambs.

"Bluff Country American Idol"
Because quality matters!

Now Where Were We? Oh Yes... "BLUFF COUNTRY WHITE NIGHT"!

Moon Shadow proudly presents his best buddy:
"BLUFF COUNTRY WHITE NIGHT" (BC Flash Flood X Sheltering Pines Crescent Moon).


These two boys are often seen grazing side by side but, occasionally, I do manage to catch a glimps of Night by himself.

Although, Shadow is often just out of view...

Sometimes it's NIGHT who's just out of view!

I no longer want to keep White Night hidden! He's MUCH too gorgeous of a ram lamb to get lost in the mob in the Bluff Country.

White Night is from the "White Diamond" line and has the characteristic, fine, crimpy, dense fleece that is associated with White Diamond. His also has nice length and a beautiful luster! Night's conformation is excellent! He is definitely SHOW QUALITY.


The spotting around his lips, eyes (and on his tongue!), as well as the stripe on his horn, are indicative of the spotting genetics he carries. White Night is sired by Crescent Moon, so carries HST spotting genetics as well as moorit and will throw them 50% of the time.

Take a bow,White Night....

Tomorrow: An exquisite, black/krunet YEARLING ram...

BLUFF COUNTRY MOON SHADOW

And yet another beautiful, moorit ram lamb! Shadow is out of Bluff Country Zest and has the refined, elegance that she stamps on her lambs. Notice his fine bone structure.


Moon Shadow is sired by Sheltering Pines Crescent Moon who did his job and improved Zest's tail (which is a tad on the long side). Shadow has a very correct, fluke shaped tail and his fleece is an exquisite, intermediate ~ leaning more toward the single-coated style ~ VERY soft, fine and nicely crimped!


I love the chiseled look to his head and the tapered muzzle. From the day he was born, (a HUGE single) I found him breathtakingly elegant.

Moon Shadow's horns are wide sweeping and perfectly symmetrical. I would like to see more wool on his poll although he's got plenty of it on his cheeks (just like his dam). Shadow is a half-brother to "Bluff Country Apocalypse" (my exquisite, home-bred, fawn/HST ram ~ now a flock sire producing show-quality lambs at Heather Ludlam's Windswept Farm) in Michigan. Shadow carries HST spotting genetics and WILL throw spots if bred to a spotted or spot carrying ewe.

Tomorrow I'll feature Moon Shadow's best buddy ~ Bluff Country White Night!

Gotta RUN ~ I'm going to be late for WORK!!!!

We're not Supposed to have FAVORITES....

But how can you NOT fall in love with this face???

This is BLUFF COUNTRY OUTLAW.
Son of Highland Hollow Alice (yes, THAT Alice ~ dam of champions) and Sheltering Pines Crescent Moon. Outlaw is what I would expect from a cross between these two, magnificent animals.

THIS is what I would call a SPECTACULAR ram lamb. His conformation is excellent. His fleece is "to die for" ~ very soft handle, long, evenly crimped. Beginning to fade to an incredible silvery, metalic, taupish FAWN. Outlaw is NOT Ag. He's carries the modifier gene. I love his high-set neck and his powerful physique.

Outlaw has an extremely level topline, a deep, broad chest, well set shoulders and a perfectly straight rear topped off with an excellent, fluke shaped tail. Simply stunning.

Although he's not a particularly largeShetland, Outlaw does have a presence about him that makes him stand out in a crowd.
(even though he TRIES to blend in as much as possible) Not to worry ~ I'm not "barn blind". I do see that Outlaw's horns are tipping in.

I've seen Alice's boys do that in the past and they've always turned in time and been nice, wide sweeping horns. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Outlaw! I will back him with a horn guarantee. If his horns do not grow in a manner that is safe and acceptable, I will replace him with a ram lamb of equal value out of next year's lamb crop. If I didn't think that his horns WILL clear, I would hold off on offering him for sale but I really do think he'll be OK...

And I definitely believe ~ with all my heart and soul ~ that passing on his genetics is worth the "risk".

Special thanks to my beautiful "BELLAMICA"...

for stirring things up out in the pasture so that I can get photographs of the sheep actually moving and alert! She's a GREAT help!!

BLUFF COUNTRY RENEGADE

*As always, click on any image to enlarge

Bella helped me gather up the boys for photos last night...

Things were going very well until the wily RENEGADE made a break for it. Go get him, Bella!

Atta Girl!!

Well Done! So, who wants to have their picture taken???

How about handsome Mr. Renegade? That's him, leading the pack!

BLUFF COUNTRY RENEGADE is the son of my beautiful, Alice ~ dam of Champions! He is sired by Sheltering Pines Crescent Moon, so carries HST spotting genetics. Renegade has the typical dense, soft fleece, with lots of wool on the cheeks and poll, that Alice puts on her boys, as well as great conformation and that "Look at Me attitude" that I so admire in my ram lambs.

Renegade's luxuriously thick, intermediate fleece is just beginning to show signs of lightening to Fawn. This is going to be one Handsome ram!

Although his rear is not as wide as Thorn's, Renegade is very square with nice, straight legs and a very nice, fluke shaped tail.

Bluff Country Renegade

BELLA says...

"Tomorrow Mom's going to post pictures of her favorite ram lamb! She was going to feature two on here today, but as usual, got carried away with the pictures....."

TOUGH Decisions....

It has been a remarkable Spring and early summer ~ watching the lambs grow and mature into beautiful young Shetlands.

But now, the time has come to pick and choose. This is especially difficult with the ram lambs! I need to decide who I'm going to take to the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival. There's a good chance that the ram lambs that I take will find new homes. Those that I leave behind have less promising futures...

The two, magnificent rams that I used last year: Kimberwood Hunter ~ fawn/HST and Sheltering Pines Crescent Moon ~ moorit/Hst, sired what is probably my best lamb crop, ever. But I can't keep them all.

Case in point: I have too many moorit/fawn ram lambs!
This is Bluff Country THORN.

Thorn is out of Bluff Country Dusty Rose. His twin sister is a fawn/HST. Thorn's conformation is excellent! I can't find a fault with him! He has luxuriously soft fleece, wool on his cheeks and poll, his horns look good, he has the widest, straightest rear I've seen on a ram lamb and a perfect, tiny, fluke shaped tail.

I'm thinking that Thorn will not be going to the show...As nice as he is, there is nothing Spectacular about him.He's not as big and majestic looking as I like my boys. Here he is (on the left) standing next to Bluff Country Renegade:


Tomorrow, I'll post photos of Renegade and his brother "Outlaw" and show you two moorit/fawn ram lambs that I think ARE spectacular...

DREAM says...

"Thorn is a REALLY sweet boy and Mom says that since he won't be going to Jefferson, she's going to lower his price to only $200 because he's WAY to nice of a ram lamb not to get a chance to be a flock sire! I sure hope he finds a good home!"