When I bought my first Shetlands many years ago I was really interested in spotted Shetlands. One of the rams that I purchased was ShelteringPines Kyrie. He was striking ... long flowing fleece ... presence ... carried and threw spots ... and he had size! I LOVED Kyrie.
But ... soon I began to develop a better understanding of the Shetland Breed Standard ... and I realized that Kyrie had very few characteristics about him that were 'Shetland' ... especially his fleece which was like hair and a disqualification since there was DEFINITELY excessive britch wool (like all over his body!). I kept his last fleece and pull it out each year when I evaluate fleeces before deciding which sheep to keep. I am always impressed with how far my Shetland flock has come toward meeting the Standard ... from that beginning.
BUT ... something really appealed to me about Kyrie when I bought him ... and even after I made the hard decision to cull him!
BUT ... something really appealed to me about Kyrie when I bought him ... and even after I made the hard decision to cull him! Then, this past August at Michigan Fibre Festival I got to see Lettie Klein's Karakuls BEFORE she sheared them. They were magnificent. They had a fleece like Kyrie's ... but THEY were supposed to look like that! They were also gentle SOULS, like Kyrie was.
So ... I became fascinated with the Karakul breed. The internet is both wonderful ... and dangerous. I found three breeders in Ontario with Karakuls. I have a lot more thinking and research to do, but ... I think that I'd like to find two ewes here ... and then import a ram from Lettie. The history behind this breed ... their wonderful hair-like fleece that will work so well in rugs ... the grandeur ... the connection with centuries of shepherding ...
I'm not rushing in to this ... but ...
So ... I became fascinated with the Karakul breed. The internet is both wonderful ... and dangerous. I found three breeders in Ontario with Karakuls. I have a lot more thinking and research to do, but ... I think that I'd like to find two ewes here ... and then import a ram from Lettie. The history behind this breed ... their wonderful hair-like fleece that will work so well in rugs ... the grandeur ... the connection with centuries of shepherding ...
I'm not rushing in to this ... but ... Life is SO good ... :-)
4 comments:
Ok honestly without looking I was going to ask if that was your new karakul ram! I have no idea what they look like, but that fleece I thought was my dead giveaway.......
Props to you for going to the breed who is world renowned for carpet and tapestry wool! I think their heritage is cool too (I went to Letty's website....very informative).
Maybe you've found your second breed?
Karakuls are so cool!
Wow, looking at Kyrie I am amazed at how far we've come in fleece in just a few years. Yes, that's pretty much the fleece type that spots came in back when you and I started. I'm curious now about his breeding.
But if it weren't for sheep like that, we probably wouldn't have any spots today.
I think that's amazing that he came out of 100% Dailley and Maple Ridge bloodlines. Did you ever send in a sample for testing? He was born in 2001, which is only 15 years removed from the Maple Ridge importation. Surely, the original Dailley sheep didn't look like that? Bill, you're a bit of a historian when it comes to the Dailley flock. What have you seen up there? I've only been there the one time.
At least he looks like he has a decent conformation.
I can see what the double-coated proponents would like about him. He looks very cool. He looks like he has a beard.
Rich
I wonder what the first Flett fleeces were like because I think he looks awesome. Michele
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