The “No-Show” Rule of the NACFA

In 1975, a year after its founding, the North American Clun Forest Association ruled as follows:

The whole premise of the Clun Forest breed is based on performance: i.e., prolificacy, mothering, milking, ease of lambing, ease of handling, and longevity. Therefore at the present time, the NACFA does not encourage show-ring competition for Clun Forest sheep. To respond to interest in the breed, animals will be available for exhibition, but not for competitive judging.

In 1978, the Association in its annual meeting reaffirmed this policy, again encouraging exhibition in fairs, sheep shows, and such youth activities as are related to 4-H classes, etc. In all such instances, sheep must be shown in fleece of reasonable length to emphasize fleece quality.

Again in 1980, the no-show rule was firmly defended, there being strong feeling that, on the one hand, competitive showing is the single most destructive activity that the breed Association can endorse and, on the other hand, that the Association exists in part to encourage and foster cooperation and support amongst members whose constant concern must be breed improvement, and that to encourage competition to accomplish these ends is dangerous and potentially counter-productive to the goals of performance enhancement.

Because at the large sheep sales in Canada showing of registered sheep is a condition of sale, the rule was modified in 1980 to permit sale-showing in Canada. Such showing in Canada, as in the U.K., is accompanied by performance records, which is not the practice in the U.S.