Umatilla County Fair Jackpot Lamb Results

November 2004 -- Lambs entered by Casey Wendt of Haines, Ore., and Davis & Delasandro of Hermiston, Ore., tied for first place in the carcass division of the 2004 Umatilla County Fair Open Class Jackpot Lamb Show.

The Wendt lamb was a Suffolk lamb and the Davis & Delasandro lamb a Texel/Suffolk crossbred lamb. Another Suffolk lamb entered by B&M Club Lambs, Hermiston, Ore., placed third in the carcass division.

The Jackpot Lamb Show, in its fourteenth year, is designed to provide sheep breeders and producers with information to evaluate their lambs for carcass merit. Producers utilize the show as another tool to evaluate the ability of their breeding programs to provide consumers with high-quality red meat products that are lower in fat.

Sixty percent of the contest premiums were paid to exhibitors based on the carcass merit of their lambs. The lamb carcasses were evaluated by Randy Mills, Oregon State University livestock Extension agent for Umatilla and Union Counties, using a procedure developed several years ago for the Fed Lamb Contest at the National Western Stock Show in Denver.

The two lambs that tied for first place, from Casey Wendt and Davis & Delasanddro, were high choice, yield grade 1.4 lambs. The third-place lamb, exhibited by B&M Club Lambs, produced a carcass that graded low prime with a yield grade of 1.9.

The other 40 percent of the premiums were awarded to the top three placings of the live show, which was held during the Umatilla County Fair. Those winners were first place - Mark Dynes, Hermiston; second place - Mitch and Tag Ashbeck, Echo; and third place - Sean Barron, Irrigon.  The top three lambs in the live show were all Suffolk lambs.

Thirty-three lambs were entered in the Jackpot Lamb Show this year, the largest number of entries in the contest?s history. Purebred and commercial breeders from Umatilla, Morrow, Union, and Baker Counties entered lambs in this year?s contest.

In summarizing the contest, Mills congratulated the breeders for entering an exceptional set of lambs that were lean, heavily muscled lambs that produce the type of retail product in demand by the modern consumer. 

Other exhibitors included:
? Karen Russell, North Powder;
? Jim & Karen Lunders, Irrigon;
? K&R Suffolks, Hermiston;
? Amie Russell, North Powder;
? Leslie Williams, Helix;
? Shelly Hilliard, Echo;
? Betsy Winn, Helix;
? Trista Wendt, Haines;
? Brian Lackey, LaGrande;
? Dana Russell, North Powder;
? Deana Garrard, Hermiston;
? Ciara Kowalski, Hermiston;
? Pumphrey Family, Milton-Freewater;
? Jamie Jundt, Hermiston;
? Kirsten Johnson, Hermiston;
? Robin Delasandro, Hermiston;
? Kathy Orr, Haines;
? Silverdale Farms, Hermiston;
? Kole Jimmerson, Hermiston; and
? Claire Ely, Athena.

Exhibitors were paid $1,650 in premium money for exhibiting in the live show and carcass competition. Premium monies were provided by the $25 per-head entry fee, plus matching money from the Jackpot sponsors, which included: Superior Farms, Cenex Harvest States Feeds, Umatilla County Fairboard and Northwest Farm Supply. 

The Jackpot Show is ?open to the world? and organizers/sponsors are looking forward to an even larger show next year. Those interested in participating are encouraged to contact Gary Lovell (541) 567-1456 or Randy Mills (541) 278-5404 or randy.mills@oregonstate.edu.