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fleece judging

This is not a comprehensive post about fleece judging; I just want to share with you one of the things I've done in the last couple of weeks - observing fleece judging!  Let's call it a photo essay.  A friend invited me to join her at the National Western Stock Show, and I learned a lot.  However, most of it would be more applicable to someone raising sheep, which I'm not, so it is hard to quantify what I learned - and repeat it accurately.  It was very fun, though! 

One of the competition assistants surveys the entries 
One of the judges evaluates the micron count
Pulling out pieces of fleece for a closer look
A collegiate team getting a lesson on what to look for in a prize fleece
Detail of crimp and dirt
Judge explaining the difference between these two locks

Have you tried something new or learned something new this year?? 

Comments

  1. Oooh, how fun and interesting! We got a little bit of that info in Shetland -- but, of course, I can't remember much of it LOL. I haven't learned anything new yet -- except that I need more time. Wait, that's not new. Time's a problem here though haha!

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  2. I have never been an observant per se of fleece judging, yet there were years when my children would show our Romney sheep in the State Fair Wool Sheep Show. There I did learn quite a bit about what judges liked, and I also learned, like so many things, it was subjective on how the judges would determine their final placings. A bad fleece would be obvious, but with a variety of breeds and beautiful wool on the back of those sheep, decisions had to be made.
    Then when it was time to shear, we might have those who wanted to buy our fleeces based on what they preferred for spinning. Again subjective.
    But what fun for you to be a part of watching the judging of the fleeces off the sheep and hearing the comments! I would love that.
    Your photos are wonderful....I've been reading your posts...

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