A striking Valais Blacknose with its curled white fleece and black face standing before a timber chalet in the Swiss Alps

Selectively Bred. Deeply Rooted.

The World's Most Beautiful Sheep.

Selectively Bred in Oregon's Hood River Valley with Purpose & Provenance

Cloud Cap Valais Blacknose — Hood River, Oregon, USA seal

A Boutique Breeding Program

Welcome to Rancho Relaxo, home to Cloud Cap Valais — our flock of Valais Blacknose sheep raised with an unwavering focus on fleece quality, structural conformation, and a calm, social temperament.

Our lambs are handled daily and raised to thrive. With an elevation just under 2,000 feet and seasonal grazing on a hillside therapy farm, our sheep are exposed to varied terrain and human interaction — building resilience and flock confidence.

This year we welcomed new stock carrying the genetic lines of North Kilduff George and Deepdale Horatio, along with genetics brand new to the U.S. from the renowned Gemstone Flock of Cornwall, England — the first animals Gemstone has ever exported to the States, with much of their breeding tracing back to the original Swiss imports to the UK. This season also brought nine purebred lambs born from embryos, shaping each new lamb crop with purpose and precision.

Our Story
A Valais Blacknose ewe grazing with the flock at Cloud Cap Valais, with the Hood River Valley hills beyond

Proven Excellence

Results from the Show Ring

2026 Show Results

Swiss Valais Blacknose West Coast Regional

Albany, Oregon

Cloud Cap Nordika Aurora
🥇 1st – Purebred Ewe Lamb
Cloud Cap Daisy
🥇 1st – F1/F2 Ewe Lamb
🏆 Champion F1/F2 Ewe
Cloud Cap North Star
4th – Purebred Ewe Lamb
Cloud Cap Nolin Lake
4th – Purebred Ram Lamb
Cloud Cap Noble Ridge
5th – Purebred Ram Lamb
Jeri and Ed of Cloud Cap Valais kneeling beside a champion Valais Blacknose wearing a brass bell and first-place purple sashes at the Swiss Valais Blacknose West Coast Regional
Cloud Cap Daisy, Champion F1/F2 Ewe, with her blue first-place ribbon shown by Jeri and Ed before the Swiss Valais Blacknose West Coast Regional banner

2026 Show Results

The Black Sheep Gathering

Albany, Oregon

Cloud Cap Noble Ridge
🥇 1st – White Valais Fall Ram Lamb
Cloud Cap North Star
🥈 2nd – White Valais Fall Ewe Lamb
Cloud Cap Nordika Aurora
🥉 3rd – White Valais Fall Ewe Lamb
Cloud Cap Nolin Lake
5th – White Valais Fall Ram Lamb

Group Awards

🏆 1st – Pair of Ram Lambs
🏆 1st – Pair of Ewe Lambs
🏆 1st – Breeder's Young Flock
A pair of Cloud Cap Valais Blacknose lambs wearing blue and red placing ribbons with their handler kneeling behind them before the full Black Sheep Gathering backdrop and green show mat
A Cloud Cap Valais Blacknose lamb with a blue first-place ribbon at The Black Sheep Gathering
A Cloud Cap Valais Blacknose lamb with blue and red ribbons posed before The Black Sheep Gathering banner
A pair of Cloud Cap Valais Blacknose lambs with blue first-place ribbons at The Black Sheep Gathering
A Cloud Cap Valais Blacknose lamb wearing two blue first-place ribbons with its handler kneeling behind it, centered before the full Black Sheep Gathering backdrop and green show mat
A Cloud Cap Valais Blacknose lamb with a blue ribbon kneeling with its handler before The Black Sheep Gathering backdrop

2025 Show Results

The Black Sheep Gathering

Albany, Oregon

🏆 Grand Champion Ram
🏆 Grand Champion Spitti Ewe
🥇 1st Place Recorded Ewe Lamb
🥈 2nd Place Registered Fall Ram Lamb
🥈 2nd Place Recorded Ewe Lamb
🥈 2nd Place Pair of Recorded Ewe Lambs
A champion Valais Blacknose ewe with red rosettes, shown in the ring at the Valais Blacknose Sheep Society show
A Valais Blacknose ram wearing green and purple champion sashes at the Black Sheep Gathering
A Valais Blacknose with a champion sash and ribbons in front of The Black Sheep Gathering banner
A pair of Valais Blacknose sheep with red placing rosettes at the Valais Blacknose Sheep Society show
A Valais Blacknose sheep with a brass bell standing on a sunlit pathway at Cloud Cap Valais

View Available Sheep

Browse our current listings of breeding stock and pasture companions.

Available Now

Notes from the Pasture

Reflections on farm life, breeding, and the land.

Aug 20, 2025

When the Flock Outgrows the Pasture…

Dec 23, 2024

The Legacy of the Valais Blacknose

May 10, 2024

Preparing for Show Season in Oregon

Questions & Answers

Valais Blacknose Sheep in Oregon

What are Valais Blacknose sheep?
Valais Blacknose are a Swiss mountain sheep famous for their curling white fleece, spiraled horns, and striking black faces and legs. Often called the world's cutest sheep, they are a gentle, friendly wool breed originally from the Upper Valais region of Switzerland.
Where can I buy Valais Blacknose sheep in Oregon?
Cloud Cap Valais at Rancho Relaxo Farm raises Valais Blacknose sheep in Oregon's Hood River Valley and places breeding stock and lambs by reservation. It is one of the few dedicated Valais Blacknose breeding programs in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.
What is Cloud Cap Valais?
Cloud Cap Valais is a boutique Valais Blacknose sheep breeding program at Rancho Relaxo Farm in Oregon's Hood River Valley, founded by Jeri and Ed. The flock is selectively bred for fleece quality, sound conformation, and calm temperament, following the Swiss breed standard.

Rancho Relaxo Farm

Home to Cloud Cap Valais — a boutique Valais Blacknose sheep breeding program based in Oregon's Hood River Valley. Rooted in heritage, selectively bred, and guided by intentional care.

Location

Hood River Valley,
Oregon

Visits by appointment only.

Proud Members

Valais Blacknose Sheep SocietyValais Blacknose Sheep Association of North America

© 2026 Rancho Relaxo Farm. All rights reserved.

Selectively Bred. Deeply Rooted.