Some history

This is an archived version of the NABSSAR website from March 2006 that I screenshot on June 29, 2018...
 
The highlighted portion reads: "The [North American BABYDOLL Southdown Sheep Association and Registry] stands as an open registration; therefore, all BABYDOLL Southdown Sheep of non-registration status are also welcome provided the sheep meet the breed standard" ~ Nowhere does this detail the process to include proof of Mock lineage (or any lineage) and the organization's own wording outright says that sheep with non-registration status are welcome if they meet standard.

Though their practices have obviously been updated and gone through changes, it is important to know that at one time according to their own website, the North American BABYDOLL Southdown Sheep Association (NABSSAR) accepted sheep from other registries and unregistered sheep.

This NABSSAR information goes back just a little over 10 years ago. So you are looking at possibly only 5 or 6 generations (f5 & f6 if you go by Grade Up terms) out from these described practices and allowances. This is also 3 - 5 years into NABSSAR being a functioning organization.

I was also sent this old letter from 2004 that Mr. Mock sent to his members:

 
The highlighted bit reads: "What they are proposing to register? Changing the heights to 26" and accepting for registration sheep from three other registry's... The information being asked is the registration numbers for the sire and dam, no other proof. Since they do not know the numbering sequence of any registry this means anyone can register anything by putting down a number."

I was tempted to just post the highlighted bit of the letter due to how all over the place (and pretty awful the letter is), but for clarity and to prevent any questioning like anyone associated with BSSBA seem to get over just about everything, I felt the need to post the whole letter.

To keep hearing about the pureness of the NABSSAR sheep - well, it's just ridiculous according to their own site's history and according to this letter out from Mr. Mock. Sure, these two pieces of information are "old news" and things have changed, but there has been so much hostility on social media lately masked as "education" that I felt the need to share these pieces of history, which truly are a glimpse into the past.

So when you hear or see members of other registries talking about the "pureness" of their Babydoll sheep or when you see them constantly questioning every step BSSBA takes or ideas we consider, please feel free to come back and review this... because I find it absolutely crazy that substanial role-playing members of another group would act like this, let alone a group who got so much slack and criticism themselves when they started off also.

~ Jen W

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