ROUND5 Happy Valley sheep farm, Kenya 1904 vs Expedition Troubles

[Captain Blood]

?

[Silent Invader]

Good luck cwchmc!  

For those interested in the source of my minis, the sheep are modified Hornby and I sculpted the Masai.  

[Rob_bresnen]

Sheep farmer- Nice figure, nice sculpt, and an unsual entry for LPL. Good work.

[Blue in vt]

Both great entries but the fabric on the Masai swayed me.

Cheers,

Blue

[Malamute]

Wonderful sculpting SI. A terrific entry

[Doomhippie]

Cool! Both of them. I was convinced by the peaceful yet very expressive setting of the sheep farm.

[Andy0476]

Two very good entries guys, but the originality of the sheepherder scene won it for me.

[argsilverson]

a very lovely Masai
You should sculpt some more, too.

But masai don't prefer cows?

[Plynkes]

They love their cattle the most, but they also herd the famous red Maasai sheep. They are reared for their meat, as they are hair sheep and don't produce wool.

[Silent Invader]

Thanks.  

Apparently Hugh Cholmondeley, 3rd Baron Delamere of the 'Happy Valley' set had a go at importing English and New England stock to breed with the Maasai ewes.  I discovered this by chance and already had sheep in the 'lead/plastic pile' but needed a Masai, hence the sculpt and the (carefully entitled!  ) little scene.

From Wickipedia:
 

By 1905, Delamere was a pioneer of the East African dairy industry. He was also a pioneer at crossbreeding animals, beginning with sheep and chicken, then moving to cattle; most of his imported animals, however, succumbed to diseases such as foot and mouth and Red water disease. Delamere purchased Ryeland Rams from England to mate with 11,000 Maasai ewes, and in 1904, imported 500 pure-bred merino ewes from New Zealand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Cholmondeley,_3rd_Baron_Delamere

[Captain Blood]

They love their cattle the most, but they also herd the famous red Maasai sheep. They are reared for their meat, as they are hair sheep and don't produce wool.

I like the sound of a hairy sheep... 

[Plynkes]

Odd idea, isn't it. I always thought the name for hairy sheep was 'goats.'  

Thoroughly researched, SI. That's what I like to see. That settles it: The Masai shepherd gets my vote (couldn't decide, but that clinches it).  



Edit: Ooh, it's very close!

[Silent Invader]

Thanks Plynkes! 

I should also have added - though I am sure that you know it - that Delamere was a great friend to the Masai who turned a blind eye to their pilfering of his livestock.