Sheep Handling
Alright. Thinking on things, I have to talk about sheep handling. Judging is a very important part of the competitions, sure, but there is also the test of skill. This is the Handling portion of the competition, which is fun, although not done all the time at a show. It's usually everyone's favourite part, because while you have to talk if you get chosen to speak from judging, in Handling you just hold the sheep.
BUT! That doesn't mean it's the easiest competition. There's also a distinct difference between Handling and handling and handling a sheep in the ring.
'Handling a sheep in the ring' is just holding it as other people judge it, usually the competitors. You're not being assessed, the sheep is only really used for the junior judging to place them in order. You can make them look nice by standing them like a box if you want, but ultimately, it doesn't matter too much provided you don't let the sheep go sideways. Actions like that just ruins the flow and is a poor reflection on your handling skill. This position should definitely be experienced by everyone though, especially if you want to assess the judging styles and how people handle the animal when checking. For example, I was holding a sheep in the ring and while I held it she was happily standing there. I could have let go of the lead and she'd stay still. Then the judging begins and this one guy rocks up to the animal and already his presence is spooking her somewhat, so I have to hold on a little tighter. Then he just jabs into the animal with a brutal method of judging and I have to actually try and keep her under control for a little bit. This leads into my next point of handling.
'Handling' is a part of what competitors are judged on. It is how you work with the animal in the ring when you need to put your hands on it to put it in a place number. I've seen many methods, and everyone has a different way of doing things, but some are more correct than others. Technically the correct way of handling is to begin at the front and go towards the back, HTCSB style. When putting your hands on the sheep, you've got to remember that it is alive and treat the animal with at least some respect. Don't go jabbing your hands along the side, yanking the eyelids down, pressing extremely hard on the topline beyond reasonable force and yanking the head up to check teeth. That reflects extremely poorly on your handling and you're unlikely to speak unless you get the exact order. You're there to judge the animal, not butcher it. That part is out of your hands. However I'm not saying go with feather-light touches either. That will help you find n o t h i n g. Going very light will also get you a poor score, especially as you're unlikely to get the correct order due to not being able to feel anything, which is the whole point of the competition. The best way to handle is to use reasonable force. You need to be firm to actually feel anything and get anything done, but not so harsh you end up causing the animal more discomfort than it already most likely has. You need to press slightly harder in some places, but I beg you, please don't jab your hands in any area. Consistency is key.
Then there's 'Handling' as in, the competition and the whole point of this post. I've already gone on longer than necessary, so I'll put a tl;dr at the bottom.
The Handling portion of the competition is really fun. This uses the competitors to be paired with a sheep. Now, unlike handling the sheep in the ring, Handling can be used when the judge goes through the official categories and in the separate contest. To do this, you gotta keep an eye on both the sheep and the judge, as well as yourself. Everything is on display. How are you standing? How is the sheep standing? Where is the judge standing? Are you slouched? Are you poised? Is the sheep jumping around or is it standing still? There are so many components and yet people still regard it as more fun than judging. So I'm gonna give some tips.
For the presentation of the Handler: Please keep your body up straight, no slouching. That'll take away from the score. Keep your eyes on the sheep, but also take note of where the judge is standing. If they walk to the left, you go right. If they walk to the right, you go left. If the judge goes behind you, spin around to face them without neglecting your sheep (so pretty much go to the side of the sheep, either left or right). Always keep the sheep between you and the judge, but remember: the judge isn't just looking at how the sheep is, they're also looking at you. Make sure you're in the best stance possible.
For the presentation of the Sheep: Make sure they're exactly like a box on legs, their legs a reasonable distance apart. Make sure their wool is free from any straw or hay or chaff. Make sure their head is upright (though not unnaturally so). A fun fact about these competitions is that you don't want a quiet sheep. This demonstrates nothing of your handling skills. Don't take a rowdy sheep though either, because this can show any inexperience. Take a sheep that one might have trouble controlling, but not overly so. That gets you a chance to shine if they muck up and you set them to rights again.
A fun fact about these competitions is that it's possible for the judge to move you, ask you to move the sheep, ask you to switch sheep or walk the sheep. You have to be ready for anything, even if the judge goes 'okay, the arena is secure, let the animal go' and then you have to catch it again. It's the most fun though, to (when the judge is known to make people switch sheep) get the most difficult you have to someone else and watch them struggle with it. This is a double edged sword though. If they're bad, their score goes down pretty quick. If they're good though, then their score goes up, while if you get, say, their quiet sheep, yours can go down. It'll still get some because, hey, it's not yours, but not as good as if it was both not yours AND slightly playing up.
So TL;DR: Handling is a competition where you hold the sheep in the ring, handling a sheep in the ring is if you're technically 'off duty', and handling is how you work with the sheep in the ring when judging. Please don't be mean to the sheep, but also don't be a pansy. Always remember to look good doing your tasks.
