Decatur families cross United States to show sheep

Submitted Photo A group of Decatur FFA and 4-H members attend the Southwest Regional Cotswold Sheep show held at the San Diego County fairgrounds in Del Mar, Calif., June 7. They are Lensey Watson (left), Landen Watson, Emilio Smith Gomez, Martha Smith Gomez, and Alisun Watson.
Submitted Photo A group of Decatur FFA and 4-H members attend the Southwest Regional Cotswold Sheep show held at the San Diego County fairgrounds in Del Mar, Calif., June 7. They are Lensey Watson (left), Landen Watson, Emilio Smith Gomez, Martha Smith Gomez, and Alisun Watson.

DECATUR -- In the age of Gameboys, iPhones and laptops, it is easy to get lost in all the technologies available to today's youth. Gone are the days of the family vacation, loading up the family station wagon (SUV in today's standards) and exploring the many wonders this great nation has to offer. However, two northwest Arkansas families put all this technology aside and went on an adventure that took them from coast to coast.

Ronald and Clara Smith, along with their two children, Martha and Emilio, left Decatur June 1 bound for the Southwest Regional Cotswold Sheep Show held at the San Diego County fairgrounds in Del Mar, Calif.

Martha and Emilio are students at Gentry and are members of the Decatur 4-H Club. Martha is one of only 20 youths to raise the Cotswold breed of sheep in Arkansas. She was fortunate to be one of 10 youths able to show at the Cotswold regional shows in California and Massachusetts.

The Smiths had one problem, they had no trailer to transport their animals. Enter the Watson family.

Butch and Rita Watson from Bentonville and their three children, Lensey, Alisun and Landen (who attend school in Decatur and are members of the Decatur FFA and 4-H), were traveling to the same show and offered to transport the Smith's sheep.

"Without the Watsons, we would not have been able to go to these shows," said Clara Smith.

The caravan of two vehicles, five adults, four children and a trailer full of prized Cotswold sheep departed Decatur on June 1 bound for Del Mar. Little did they know of the many adventures that lay ahead.

Their route took the Arkansas travelers through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before crossing into the "Eureka" state. They stopped along the way to enjoy the natural beauty that the desert southwest offers.

They arrived in Del Mar on June 5, two days before the show. After taking care of the sheep's needs, the travelers began to explore the area, which included a brief visit to the Pacific Ocean and the California coastline.

One piece of history the Smiths experienced while in San Diego County was the famed Del Mar race track, founded by legendary singer and film star Bing Crosby in 1937. On Aug. 12, 1938, the famed Seabiscuit-Ligaroti match race occurred, in which two of the top race horses in the nation at the time went head to head to decide which was the best. Seabiscuit (several movies were made about this horse) came out on top, winning the race by a nose.

Martha and Emilio had the rare chance to visit the jockey quarters before one of the races.

They made a short trip to the San Diego County fairground, where the two families went to work preparing their animals for the coming show.

The Southwest Regional Cotswold Sheep Show junior division featured six exhibitors from California and Arkansas and 23 all natural colored head of sheep.

The Arkansas contingent did very well, earning 13 awards, including a junior showmanship first-place finish for Martha and a senior showmanship first-place award for Lensey Watson.

"It's all about how you present your animal," Ronald Smith said. "It isn't how much you spend on an animal but how you show that animal."

On the return trip, while in Arizona, the Smiths and Watsons experienced a force of nature few in Arkansas have seen, a Haboob. The intense dust storm rolled across the Arizona landscape, turning day into night and filling the air with a thick red grit. The Smiths and Watsons made it through the storm a little wiser to the dangers they avoided that day.

The Decatur party returned home June 14, having experienced such natural wonders as the Pacific Ocean, the Grand Canyon, the Mohave Desert and a host of other sights that every person should see at least once in a lifetime.

While on the road, Martha noticed the different topographies between two of the southwestern states they traveled through.

"In New Mexico, you didn't see the same type of nature as you saw in Arizona," Martha said. "In New Mexico, it was more the sand and desert type. But when you hit Arizona, it started a whole new kind of world. Instead of all the sand, we saw rocks and cactus. It wasn't what you would see in movies."

Once back in Decatur, the two families had little time to rest before heading east to the Northeast Youth Sheep Show in West Springfield, Mass., on July 7.

On June 29, the Smiths and Watsons left their homes in northwest Arkansas, eastbound to the Atlantic seaboard. Their travels took them through Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts.

They took time, traveling through most of New York State, where they experienced the awe inspiring beauty of Niagara Falls, went through the Catskills and into New York City.

Arriving in West Springfield on July 5, the two families went about the business of preparing their animals for the upcoming sheep show.

The Northeast Youth Sheep Show featured 12 junior youth from four states competing with 38 Cotswold sheep. The exhibitors participated in clinics, quiz bowls, skill-a-thons, judging contests, lamb fitting, showmanship contests, fleece contests and the sheep show. Emilio was able to attend a sheep camp for novices.

At the sheep show, both families fared very well, bringing home 16 awards, including several first-place finishes in six categories.

"Some people think that nothing good comes out of little towns," Clara Smith said. "But we proved them wrong."

The Smiths and Watsons returned to Decatur and Bentonville July 12, having passed by the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

Too many times parents get so caught up in their own world that they fail to spend good quality time with their kids. They see the television, video games and computer as a way to keep the kids amused and out of their way. This is something that Ronald and Clara avoid with their kids. They, like the Watsons, spend time teaching their kids about responsibility and accountability. The kids are not only responsible for the care of their animals, but also the money they make with them.

To travel as a family throughout the United States and share all that this country has to offer is something that is rare these days. To experience the many natural wonders such as Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon, as well as the many historic places like Gateway Arch and the Empire State Building, is something best shared as a family. To see, hear and touch pieces of American history is the ultimate educational experience, not learned from books, magazines or television.

Results for both Smith and Watson in both shows:

Southwest Region Junior Sheep Show (Natural Colored) Cotswolds

Fall Ewes Lambs - 1st, Lensey Watson

Spring Ewe Lambs - 3rd, Alisun Watson

Reserve Champion Ewe - Lensey Watson

Junior Showmanship - 1st, Martha Elvira Smith Gomez

Senior Showmanship - 1st, Lensey Watson, 2nd Alisun Watson

Northeast Youth Sheep Show (Natural Colored Cotswold) division

Senior Ewe Lamb - 1st, Lensey Watson

Junior Ewe Lamb - 1st, Alisun Watson; 4th, Lensey Watson; 5th and 7th, Martha Elvira Smith Gomez; 6th, Landen Watson

Pair of Ewe Lambs - 2nd, Lensey Watson; 3rd, Martha Smith Gomez

Reserve Champion Ewe - Lensey Watson

Best Fleece - 1st, Lensey Watson; 3rd, Landen Watson; 4th, Alisun Watson; 5th, Martha Elvira Smith Gomez

Sheep Quiz Bowl

Novice - 1st place team, Emilio Wayne Smith Gomez and Landen Watson

Junior - 3rd place team, Martha Elvira Smith Gomez and Alisun Watson

General News on 10/14/2015