Goodbye to Shetland Sheep?

I've raised Shetland sheep for about 20 years. I don't register the lambs any more, and mostly I breed to part hair sheep sires. But I kept a few Shetlands pure bred. Until now.

I had two very handsome Shetland rams, pureblood but unregistered. Both died unexpectedly this year. Since I bred the whole flock to the part-Katahdin ram, I didn't have any ram lambs to sub. So it looks like I'm out of the Shetland sheep business unless I can find a ram for next year, while I still have a supply of purebred ewes.

I'm not sure why I want purebreds. It's the crossbreds for meat that are my money-makers. But it's kind of sad to not have any pure Shetland lambs to look forward to in the spring.