Gentle Giants

Yesterday, Jeff and my dad attended the National Clydesdale Sale, held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. This annual event featured more than 100 horses from across the U.S.A. and Canada. In the photo are a mare and her foal running in the sale ring as the auctioneer collects bids.

Clydesdales, “Gentle Giants,” are often known for appearing in Super Bowl commercials, and we cheer every time they hit the big screen. Our own horses tower above even our tallest family members.

Clydesdales are a heritage breed imported to the United States prior to 1900. These draft horses are listed on The Livestock Conservancy’s “Conservation Priority List,” as there are fewer than 1,000 yearly Clydesdale registrations in the U.S. and fewer than 5,000 animals worldwide.

For many years, Dad worked with the family’s draft horses alongside his uncle, who brought Clydesdales to the farm nearly seventy years ago. In recent years, Dad has continued the horse tradition and preserved the genetic lines his uncle established.

At the sale, horses from across the U.S.A and Canada are presented. As Jeff walked around the horse barns and arena, he watched the preparations for the sale ring. Here, a trio of horses lines up outside the arena.

It’s neat to be part of the Clydesdale and draft horse tradition, and seeing these horses all gathered in one place is encouraging.

Thanks for Reading!

And I hope you feel refreshed and rejuvenated for the week ahead with this moment preserved in picture and prose. Consider:

• What traditions are you a part of?

Share your answer and this newsletter with someone who shares this tradition with you.

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This Week on the Farm

Lambing and Kidding 2024 has concluded with the birth of our pygmy doeling!

She is small enough to slip through one of the panels around the maternity ward. One day, she disappeared, leaving her mum worried and crying for her. I looked for the kid and found her in a green bucket lying on its side, curled up and comfortable.

I set the doeling back in with her mother and moved the bucket into the maternity ward, and now, the little doeling sleeps there, safe and secure.

Farm Shop

Fleeces fill our Etsy shop! This year’s shearing yielded some nice wool, and we’re excited to share these with you.

Below is Bruinen’s fleece, which won first place in its division at the Greencastle Wool Show. See his fleece and Bruinen himself by clicking on the photo below. 🐏