Experiencing Life

The air is filled with the fragrance of clean wood chips spread on the show ring floor. Around the Sheep Barn it started quiet with only the sound of buckets banging and water filling them. With every passing minute more and more young people arrive with their parents, ready for a day of showing at the Iowa State Fair. Many kids looked tired and are yawning as they arrive with the sunrise, arms filled with supplies, coolers and a change of clothes. 

The lambs begin to awaken also, eager for their morning feeding. The baaing begins. Those in the breeding classes begin to groom the sheep in the aisles of hundreds of pens that fill the barn. Fans are blowing and clippers begin to buzz. Young people sweep the aisles as each club or group is judged on the cleanliness of their area. Over night the wood chips have spread under the gates of the pens, into the aisles. 

There are few people in the bleachers at first. Most 4-Hers or FFA members show market lambs and are busy walking their lambs to the washing pens. They soap up the lambs, carefully avoiding the faces and brushing the wood chips and dirt away. Then a thorough rinsing and a clean coat or a walk back to the aisle where stands are set up and waiting. The lambs jump up on the heavy stands and their heads are secured with a plastic chain. The raised stands save the groomers' backs from bending over. The lambs are used to the stands (usually) and most stand calmly as the young people begin a final shearing or finish the lambs for show.

As the market show begins the aisles fill with spectators and family members, armed with cameras, coming to watch. By the second show the bleachers are nearly full and many people stand around the area, checking the programs, looking for the classes they are interested in. There is a rumble of conversations around the show ring. The hopeful youth appear in their brilliant white shirts that by the end of the show will be smudged with dirt and possibly chewed on. Many faces are familiar, just a year older and a bit more mature. Inaudible background speakers announce each class and call those lambs to the ring.

The lambs in each class enter the ring and circle their way around the ring while the judge evaluates the lambs, quickly sorting the blues from the purples. The kids are attentive to the judge and work to present their lamb in its best form. The sorting of lambs continues for quite some time and eventually the judge finds his/her choice of top ten lambs or so. The winner of the class is chosen. After each class the volunteers record the lamb's placing on a pink card from the youth's pocket and they receive a ribbon that is quickly tucked in a back pocket while the youth holds on to the lamb. The process is repeated about 50 times during the day for the different classes of lambs.

"You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness," (Ephesians 4:3-4 MSG).