Boy counts ribbons, not sheep

Puyallup fair will feature rare breed from Olalla farm

BY SEPTEMBER WOODS

of The Peninsula Gateway

Fair season is in full swing and one 6-year-old Olalla boy will be defending his first-place title in the "Lads and Ladies Lead" competition at the Western Washington Fair this Saturday.

Adam Williams will lead his 50-pound ewe, Chewy, around in the competition. Participants, both children and adults, show off the wool of their sheep, as well as walk a sheep around the show ring on a halter.

"We practice every night, for me and the sheep," Williams said.

Williams has trained many different sheep for competition. On Aug. 29, Williams took first place at the Kitsap County Fair with his favorite sheep, Felice.

"We named her Felice because she has nice fleece," Williams said. "I hate to say this but she has bad horns."

The 1997 Western Washington Fair was the first competition Williams in which he participated. He took home a first-place trophy for training his sheep and a first-place ribbon for his costume. Each contestant wears something that is from the wool of a sheep.

Williams' mother, Cathie, wove a vest for Adam and a matching scarf for his sheep to wear in the competition.

"Once he got the trophy and ribbon he was the center of attention," said Mark Williams, the boy's father. "He got a lot more interested in the activities at the fair."

The competition is not the only thing the Williams' family is involved in at the different fairs they attend.

They raise a rare breed of sheep called Jacob sheep and bring about eight of their best sheep to the different fairs for display. The breed is very rare and the Williams' family raises the largest flock in the Northwest.

This year at the Western Washington Fair, the Jacob sheep will be the featured breed.

"These attract a lot of attention," Mark Williams said. "We love talking to people at the fairs. Most people have never seen anything like Jacob sheep, so they ask a lot of questions."

Another asset that comes directly from the sheep is their wool. Cathie Williams weaves about 20 blankets from the wool each year. Each blanket costs $150. The couple has a full-size loom at their home.

"We think the best way to preserve a rare breed of livestock is to produce and market products made from that breed," Cathie Williams said. "We process our wool into three colors of yarn, which I weave into my Jacob blankets."

The Williams' family is bringing many of its best sheep and blankets to the Western Washington Fair this weekend. The couple picks out its favorite sheep early in the year based on their wool and temperment. They begin to train the animals and prepare them for the fair.

"For us it's an exhibition, not a competition," said Cathie Williams. "We like to talk to lots of people who are interested in these weird animals."

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