Every year, 8 ewe lambs are awarded to essay winners from across the country to young people who write about their sheep experience or their desire to own, care for and exhibit Hampshire sheep. The ewe lambs are given to their new owners during the Midwest Stud Ram Show and Sale in Sedalia, Missouri, the last week in June.

The ewe lambs are donated by established breeders who want to see young people get a start in Hampshires and to grow in knowledge and appreciation of the sheep industry. We have donated ewe lambs to this great program every year since its inception. The winners the past two years live in Virginia and Kansas. Their pictures and short story of each are included on this page.

If you or a member of your family would be interested in applying for a ewe lamb in the Rising Star Award Program, please click this link to the American Hampshire Sheep Association for more information. Applications may also be obtained by calling (641)942-6402 or by mail:

American Hampshire Sheep Association
1557 173 Avenue
Milo, IA 50156

Past Rising Star Award Winners
2006 Rising Star Award Winner Our 2006 Rising Star ewe, F.B. 26007,  was presented to Karly Ruppert from Minnesota. We have provided a top January ewe lamb for this program for 6 years now.	2005 Rising Star Award Winner Our 2005 donated ewe lamb to the Rising Star Award program was won by Austin Reinick of Colorado. Austin and his family were on hand at Sedalia to accept the ewe lamb along with 7 other young people from all over the USA. Austin said, “I am looking forward to building a Hampshire flock”.
2004 Rising Star Award Winner Rising Star Ewe donated in 2004. FB 24007 "Bond's Girl" was given to Jacob Berg of Wyoming. This is the fourth year of this program and we have donated every year, the only Hamp breeder in the USA to donate every year.	2003 Rising Star Award Winner This is the ewe lamb we donated to the Rising Star Award held in Sedalia at the Midwest Stud Ram Sale in 2003. Molly Riddell of Alabama was the lucky winner of FB 23007, one of our top ewe lambs.
2002 Rising Star Award Winner Four of the eight recipients of 2002's Rising Star Award presented in Sedalia, Missouri. Brandi Brill of Kansas (2nd from right) with the ewe lamb she won donated to the program by Fuller's Hamps & Downs. Winners are chosen based on an essay written by the young people with the theme, "Why I would like a Hampshire ewe lamb."	2001 Rising Star Award Winner Adam Heishman of Virginia with his Rising Star ewe lamb "Cupcake," awarded to him in Sedalia 2001, Hampshire ewe lamb donated by Fuller's Hamps & Downs. He showed her as a lamb and as a yearling. In January 2003, she became mother of twins for Adam.