Winning feels familiar to this champion

The championship class at the Douglas County Lamb Show has become quite familiar for Jordan Pynch.

His 148-pound lamb was most impressive in conformation to judge Raymon Smith in the field of 230 lambs. It was named grand champion for the 69th annual lamb show Saturday at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.

“I was surprised,” said Pynch, who has had an entry in the lamb show for the past eight years. “I never expected it. There are a lot of good lambs here. I just showed him the best I could.”

Smith, who taught agriculture science at Glide High School for four years before teaching at Hermiston High School for the past three years, said the Pynch lamb had the best combination of muscle, and was “long and deep through the loin.”

Pynch, who lives on his family’s ranch in the Dixonville area east of Roseburg and will be a senior at Glide High School in the fall, is now a two-time champ. His lamb in 2005 also won the championship ribbon, and the year before his lamb was the reserve champion, or second-place.

At Saturday evening’s 4-H & FFA Junior Market Lamb Auction, Pynch’s lamb attracted a bid of $16 a pound from Seven Feathers Hotel & Casino Resort of Canyonville. That adds up to $2,368.

“That’s the heaviest lamb I’ve ever taken to the lamb show,” said Pynch, who selected his lamb out of his family’s flock.

He explained the lamb weighed 98 pounds at the official weigh-in in early April, and gained 50 pounds in the past two months.

“I spent about a half hour every day running up and down hills and on flats,” he said, describing the workout regime he used to shape up his animal.

Down in South County over the past couple of months, Emily Hopfer walked her lamb about a mile a day, mostly up hills. The exercise for the Days Creek Middle School sixth-grader and her lamb paid off with the reserve champion ribbon Saturday. Hopfer is a member of the Days Creek Junior Stockmen, and this was her third lamb show.

In early April her lamb, which she purchased from Triple Crown Club Lambs in Jackson County, weighed 100 pounds, but then increased to a show weight of 139 pounds over two months.

In the auction ring, Hopfer’s animal drew a bid of $11 a pound from Riverbend Ranch. That earned her $1,529.

“Wow,” Hopfer said of the bid.

She said it was hard to believe when the judge walked past a couple other lambs and handed her the ribbon.

“It wasn’t until then that I thought, ‘Hey, this is real,’” she said.

She explained her lamb’s best characteristics were that it “was really long, had a thick loin and was very muscular.”

After judging the entire field in a little more than four hours, Smith said the overall quality of lambs in the show have “come a long way in the three years I’ve been gone. Breeders are working for better genetics and carcasses. That creates some competition, but that should make the kids work harder.”

Community members and businesses spent slightly more than $113,488 in support of the lamb show participants. The average sale price was $3.88 per pound.



• You can reach Features Editor Craig Reed at 957-4210 or by e-mail at creed@nrtoday.com.

Douglas County Lamb Show Junior Market Lamb Auction Grand Champion — Jordan Pynch, Glide Reserve Champion — Emily Hopfer, Days Creek 4-H/FFA showmanship Grand Champion — Kyle Reber, Sutherlin Senior Award — Kyle Reber, Sutherlin Intermediate Award — Brooke Painter, Roseburg Junior Award — Hannah Calley, Days Creek Junior Novice Champion Award — Zoe Catlin, Lookingglass Junior bummer lamb class 1. Bethany Buckley, Roseburg; 2. Audrey Van Houten, Oakland; 3. Austin Van Houten, Oakland Open class market lamb Open class single 1. Nancy Stutz, Oakland; 2. Dixie Williams, Roseburg; 3. Hannah Quimby, Glide; 4. Louisa Sanchez, Melrose; 5. Dub Strader, Glide Market lamb open class Division pen of five 1. John Wheland, Melrose; 2. Julie Quimby, Glide; 3. French Creek Ranch, Glide; 4. Mary Ann Wheland, Melrose; 5. Dixie Williams, Roseburg Decorator class Third grade or younger 1. Amelia Murphy and lamb Patch. Blue ribbons also presented to Zach Rushworth and Cookie; Morgan Ponder and Tank; Bethany Buckley and Mary; Hannah Quimby and Honey Pie; Grace Mansanti and Leader; C.J. Wells and Bubba; Nick Castillo and Lucky; Asia Huffine and Nila; Noel Krissie and Josh; and Megan Baird and DC Wool Showcase People’s Choice Awards 1. Bernice Hjort, hand-spun brown cardigan; 2. Corienne Geddes, hand-spun weft Lamb cooking contest 1. Brenda Poland, BBQ lamb loin chops; 2. Linda Bruinsma, barbecue Greek lamb salad pita sandwich; 3. Madeline Smith, lambwiches Junior division James Mansanti, lamb kebabs