The TROPHY HAIR SHEEP OF AMERICA has separate divisions for various close relatives of hair sheep known for superb horn genetics. Included are Texas Dall, Mouflon, Black Hawaiian, Desert Sand, Desert Dragon (polycerate), Corsican and Bighorn Crosses with other divisions pending. There is no division for the Painted Desert Sheep as the Painted Desert Sheep Society is the parent registry and works in conjunction with THSOA.

On this site you will find breed standards for each, forms, and member links.

Mouflon

Origin:

Europe, namely Corsica, Sardinia & Cypress.

Color:

The body is varying shades of red, preferably deep red, sometimes with black smudges. The legs, tail patch and underpinnings are creamy to white with a black stripe bordering the belly white. Saddle patches are more noticeable on rams and also vary from creamy to white. The head may be badger-faced. Ewes are more drably marked. Rams have more striking color in the winter.

Disqualifications:

Sheep with horns other than heart-shaped and/or supracervical, with tails longer than 4 inches, with missing saddle patch, or with white spots of any size cannot be registered. These white spots do not include “eye spots” that sometimes appear in badger-face markings.

Corsican

Origin:

Y.O. Ranch. Mountain Home, Texas, USA

Mrs. Myrtle Schreiner of the Y.O. ranch named these sheep in the 1960s, referring to the ranch’s Mouflon and Blackbelly crosses. The name “CORSICAN” takes precedence over any other later names such as Texas Blackbelly or American Blackbelly as it was named Corsican first, long before any registries. Corsicans comprise all sheep of Mouflon crosses. Some exhibit the black underpinnings of blackbelly influence, while others exhibit lighter underpinnings due to Mouflon influence, with all colors in between.

Color:

Corsicans may be any earth tone color from buff to fawn to mahogany, and may have either light or dark underpinnings. The term "yellow-belly" is incorrect when referring to sheep with light underpinnings due to Mouflon influence.  A Mouflon saddle patch is allowed.

Disqualifications:

Sheep with white spots of any size cannot be registered.

Texas Dall

Origin:

Y.O. Ranch. Mountain Home, Texas, USA

 Texas Dalls were originally the result of a wayward Merino ram visiting Mouflon ewes on the Y.O. Ranch. The resulting white lambs/rams were first called “Snow White Rams” after the Y.O. Ranch foreman Bob Snow, who had procrastinated in removing the stray ram. He later named them “Texas Dalls” after the white Alaskan Dall Sheep, though there is no relation. The Alaskan Dalls were named in 1884 after the American zoologist William H. Dall who discovered these sheep.

The term “DAHL,” therefore, is incorrect, whether referring to Alaskan or Texas Dalls.

It should be further noted that the original, true Texas Dall NEVER had any blackbelly influence and should remain so.

Color:

Texas Dalls shall be pure, snowy white with pink skin.  Eyelids, lips and nose pads are cream to pink. Horns and hooves shall be creamy to yellow to gold. Eyes shall be yellow to light brown.

Disqualifications:

Sheep with dark horns, dark eyelids, lip or nose pad, or any dark spots on skin or coat cannot be registered.

Desert Sand

Origin:

USA - Name coined by Anita Garza in the late 1990s to more correctly refer to the reddish sheep in Texas Dall flocks that occur due to a modifying gene. Since they are not snowy white, they are not true Dalls. The term “Red Dall” is also incorrect.

Color:

The Desert Sand shall be within the range of light champagne, through shades of copper or “pumpkin” to a medium cinnamon. The facial area may lighten during maturity with indistinct edges blending naturally with surrounding color. Eyelids, lips and nose pads shall be pink to amber (reddish pink). A Mouflon saddle patch is allowed. Horns vary in color from light cream to dark amber. On true champagnes, mottled skin around the eyes, muzzle, the horn bases and genitalia as the animal matures is acceptable. Therefore, thin variegated stripes on the horn originating from mottling of the skin at the horn base is acceptable.

Disqualifications:

Sheep with light or white markings (blazes, stockings, spots) or dark markings on skin or coat cannot be registered. A sheep with a solid black nose cannot be registered.

Black Hawaiian

Origin:

Mainland USA. These sheep have nothing to do with Hawaii. There are no indigenous black sheep in Hawaii. Further, the term “Hawaiian Black” is incorrect.

Color:

Black Hawaiians shall be entirely coal black. Eyelids, lips and nose pads shall be black. Black horns are preferred, but grey (with age) to yellowish horns are allowed. Gray hairs around eyes and on nose on older sheep are acceptable.

Disqualifications:

Sheep with white or light spots of any size cannot be registered.

Desert Dragon

Origin:

USA - Name coined by Anita Garza after the exceptional Four Horn Painted Desert ram, JJ’s Desert Dragon, bred by Judy Jenkins and owned by Anita Garza.

Color:

Desert Dragon Sheep are hair sheep that may be any color or color combination. Desert Dragon Sheep have shown horns numbering from three to seven. 

Percentage polycerate sheep are eligible for registration as well.

Disqualifications:

There are no color disqualifications.  Severely misshapen horns that grow into face, split eyelids and evidence of non-shedding wool are disqualifications.

Bighorn Hybrid

Origin:

Some breeders are implementing Bighorn & Alaskan Dall sheep in their breeding programs. The resulting hybrids are eligible for registration in this section.

Color:

Bighorn hybrids vary in color depending on influence of other breeds. Spotted crosses with the Painted Desert may be double-registered with the Painted Desert Sheep Society.

Disqualifications:

Sheep with wool breeding cannot be registered.

Asian / Hybrids

For registration of Argali, Marco Polo, Urial, Red Sheep, etc. and their crosses. Contact the registrar.