The future of the US Valais Blacknose sheep – Let’s decide together!

I am — in spite of having lived in the US since ‘95 — still fiercely Swedish in many ways. And also, fiercely true to the concepts I find make America, well, American! I follow rules and regulations (Swedish) and dislike people making decisions for me without information and consent as I value the many freedoms that are mine (American). I guess it can be argued that it’s all just about being human 😉 and not part of any nationality!

These values play a huge role when it comes to my cherished Valais Blacknose sheep. It guided my original choice of which registry I wanted to join. The way the registries conduct the affairs of the members will affect whether I continue in one or choose another. It also hugely affects what I believe is my duty to the breed, its standards and traditions.

As American breeders of Swiss sheep we have a huge responsibility to breed and keep these sheep in a way that honors not only their welfare, but also their origins — and the Swiss shepherds who have so diligently bred and created a system to grade and judge them.

I have always wanted the different registries to cooperate and work together for the sake of the breed. I was so excited when the decision to cross-register sheep between the registries came into play as it demonstrated a more inclusive spirit!
And even more excited when the first independent all Valais sheep and grading show came — open to all. With certified European judges and graders. But of course, continuing to “import” Swiss educated judges and graders from the UK or Sweden to every future show is expensive and impractical.

I was THRILLED when I heard that Swedish veterinarian, breeder, judge and grader Marita Tauni along with British entrepreneur, breeder, judge and educated but not yet certified grader Emma Collison (The Swiss do not actually certify anyone and in the UK that is done by the Society) decided to put on a ground level judging class for Americans where people from all the different registries were invited to participate. Common knowledge is the best ground for a common future.

These classes will lay the foundations of the Swiss ways. The Holy Grail of course is to be so well prepared and vested in these sheep that the Swiss themselves would accept us to participate in their classes to judge and grade. Most Americans here hold the Swiss Shepherds, judges and graders in the highest regards. Their knowledge, breed standards and their system is what we emulate. Most of us are eagerly hoping we will be able to come and learn and build friendships over time — while learning more and more as we progress.

The time-honored tradition of grading and judging Valais Blacknose sheep isn’t something you can pick up by watching shows, even up close. If that were true, I would be an orthopedic surgeon since I watched and participated in countless knee and hip replacements as an OR nurse. Alas… that is not the case.

And since this IS America, people will always want to do things their own way. Not once in the history of mankind have all people agreed on one right way (in spite of all of us knowing that there only is one right way haha). This is exactly why I think it’s so important to have an open discussion about how we, as breeders, see our future when it comes to the showing and grading of our sheep as well as how we envision the future of our breed up programs. We need American judges and graders that have been trained by the Swiss. We need a system- a judges and graders guild- in place here in the US that is tailored to our needs for our huge country, where new judges can find an approved training curriculum, get certified and receive much needed support (as all breeders will not be happy about their results). It is my hope and prayer that this would be a cooperation between the different registries, and I don’t think it’s too farfetched to wish for since we all want to breed our sheep with the Swiss breed standards in mind.

I look forward to and will eagerly participate in every opportunity I have to learn to judge and grade in the hope that at some point, with enough education and experience, I will be able to contribute to the upholding of the Swiss standards for our beloved Swiss Valais Blacknose sheep. The future is so exciting! I wish we can all come together through our passion for these wonderful sheep and make it inclusive and cooperative with support and tolerance for those who still want to do things their way!