Nearly 500 Sheep Flock To Maryland Festival
BY SHARON SHUSTER
Maryland Correspondent
WEST FRIENDSHIP, Md. -
People and sheep alike, flocked to
the Thirteenth Annual Maryland
Sheep and Wool Festival, on May 3
and 4, at the Howard County
fairgrounds. Even a horse dentist
from Kentucky elected to miss the
Derby to attend the sheep show
and sale.
No need to count sheep at night;
455 of the best of the flock were
entered for the two-day show,
representing 12 states and Canada.
Jeff Ruppert of Cedar Cliffs Farm
in Union Bridge, Md., showed the
supreme champion ram, a white
Corriedale, and Billie Andrews, of
Vesper Valley, Spring Grove, Pa.,
showed the supreme champion
ewe, also a Corriedale. The
Shepherd’s Award went to Ran
dolph Irwin, with Richard and
Mary Johnson close runners-up.
Purebred Winners
Four varieties of purebred sheep
were judged in the main ring. The
Border Leicester competition saw
Randy Irwin of Triple L Farm in
Freeland, Md., and John Wood
ward of Hemlock Hill Farm in
Sabillasville, Md., vying for first
and second place in most of the
classes. Irwin captured the titles
for champion ram and ewe, with
Woodward holding the reserve
champions. In the end, Woodward
was the one who garnered the most
exhibitor points to become the
premier exhibitor in the Border
Leicester competition.
Jean Woodward made it a
husband and wife sweep with her
title as premier exhibitor in the
Romney showing. Like her
husband, she also held reserve
champion ram and ewe. The
Woodwards won 12 blue ribbons in
various class competitions. Lucy
H. Conant, Overdale Farm in
Clover Hill Spinners (pictured) were edged out by Moon
Spinners for first-place honors in the shawl contest.
Newly crowned Lamb and Wool . Queen, Leslie Clary,
(second from left) is surrounded by her court of princesses.
Chester, Mass., showed the
champion ram, and Sally and Bob
Young; Plum Runs Farm in
Canonsburg, Pa., showed the
champion Romney ewe, a
yearling.
Ruppert won the champion and
reserve champion ram titles in the
Corriedale and the Natural
Colored, medium wool com
petitions. The champion
Corriedale ewe, a yearling, was
shown by Andrews. Harlow
Walker, Valley Lamb & Wool of
Middletown, Md., was awarded
reserve champion for his spring
ewe lamb. Premier exhibitor for
the Corriedale show was Ruppert.
Florence Hall, publicity chair
person said, “That was a Ruppert
Day.”
In Sunday’s Columbia show,
Richard and Mary Johnson of
Hyline Farm in Lakewood, NJ.,
were premier exhibitors with
champion ram and reserve
champion ram and ewe. Bob and
Suzy Leib of Shepherd’s Crook in
Mechanicsburg, Pa., showed the
champion ewe.
Top Sellers
Twenty-six sheep were sold at an
average of $181.53, with a gross of
$4,720. The high selling sheep was
Ruppert’s yearling Corriedale at
$450, purchased by Mr. and Mrs.
Robert Hollowbush, of Fleetwood,
Pa. The next highest sale was $440
for a purebred black Border
Leicester ewe with lamb at side,
presented by Beverly Tiffany of
Ohio, and purchased by Laurel
Schuman of Dalton, Pa.
FFA and 4-H members were
afforded the opportunity to pur
chase lambs to be fed for later
showing at the fair, during the sale
of feeder lambs. What the judge
described as “a good set of club
lambs,” the 75-pound (class 3)
champion and 70-pound (class 2)
reserve champion feeder lambs
were entered by Diane Conaway of
Pine Haven Farm in Newville, Pa.
The champ was auctioned for $235,
with reserve champion not far
behind at |2lO. Hall reported that a
new record was set with the
average sale of feeder lambs at
$l.ll, with 45 head sold.
Not content to just collect her
winnings and head for home,
Conaway, a fourth grade teacher,
said she, along with interested
parents of club members, are
planning a Spring Preview to “give
kids practice before the fair.” She
explained that this unique op
portunity evolved as a means to
“give them a gauge to see how
their lamb is doing. They (FFA
and 4-H members) don’t have to go
cold turkey to the fair.” Prizes and
expenses for the event are funded
by the group of parents and in
terested parties. The second an
nual Spring Preview is scheduled
for May 31 in Cumberland County,
Pa., at the Shippensburg
fairgrounds.
Champion Fleece
Freshly shorn sheep shivered in
the cold, blustery wind on Satur
day, while bundles of their warm,
wooly fleece were displayed for
competition and sale. Fleece
chairperson, Joan Hagerty,
displayed more than 350 fleeces.
The grand champion fleece was 11
pounds of white Corriedale, sub
mitted by Nancy Low of Wooly Hill
Farm in Lincoln, Vt. Deborah
Ralston, from Granville, Pa.,
entered the reserve champion
fleece, 10 pounds of Lincoln.
While thousands of people
dressed warmly in woolen
sweaters paraded by the wool
related wares of more than 150
craftspeople, the Moon Spinners
wove their first-place shawl in 2%
hours. Nancy Roche, a spinner for
the group, from College Park, Md.
said, “I was surprised we won. I
thought the others were beautiful.”
This was the fourth year for the
Moon Spinners in the Sheep-to-
Shawl contest. She described the
second place Clover Hill Spinners
as “stiff competition.” Roche said
she attributed the win to “a lot of
spinning experience.” The group
consists of two more spinners,
Nancy Norris of Riverdale, Md.,
and Jane Hyland of Kensington,
Md., and their weaver, Julie
Bealiea. Dave Greene was shearer
for the Moon Spinners. The fleece
of “Treasure”, a ewe owned by
Debby and BUI Glass of AirvUle,
Pa., was used for the contest.
The shawl featured “a simple
twill structure with good drape.”
Roche said that was com
plemented with the ikat technique
of dying; much like tie-dying.
Natural BrasUwood and logwood
dyes were used to achieve the
purple colors. Roche, a scientist,
said the craft of spinning
“dovetails my interest in science
and art.”
Sheila Rovelstad, coordinator of
the contest, said, “after it (the
shawl) was washed, it was just
perfect*Their work was excellent
all the way through.” The Moon
Spinners scored 98 of a possible 100
points. The shawl sold for $l2O.
Lamb and Wool Queen
Amid the whir of spinning wheels
and the clatter of looms, Leslie
Clary, 16, was crowned the new
Lamb and Wool Queen. In response
to her fishbowl question, “What
can you do to promote the sheep
industry in Maryland?”, Clary
said she would “go to different
shows and promote the importance
of wearing wool and eating lamb.”
She tends a flock of 18 natural
colored sheep and js a member of
the West Friendship 4-H. An avid
spinner, she served as chairperson
for the junior spinning contest at
the festival. Princesses selected
were Sarah Ruppert, IS, of
Frederick County, Md., and Kim
Cala, 17, of Baltimore County, Md.
Last weekend belonged to the sheep at Maryland's Howard
County Fairgrounds as thousands of sheep fanciers turned
out to take in shows, sales, wool crafts, lamb cuisine and
much more.
Diane Conaway, Newville, sold her champion feeder lamb
for $235.
Lamb Cook-Off
Four judges armed with six
packs of Perrier, judged the
culinary talents of 10 entrants in
the Grand Lamb Cook-Off. They
selected Helen Nimmo’s Hot Lamb
Delights as the winning recipe.
Nimmo, from York, Pa., also
captured first place in last year’s
competition. Esther Blum’s Breast
of Lamb with combread stuffing
came in second.
Just outside the cook-off
pavilion, the air was filled with the
smokey aroma of pit cooked lamb.
Leah Meile of Bob’s Mobile Beef,
said the secret to cooking
delicious, tender lamb is, “to cook
it slow. You can’t rush it.’’ She
recommended at least three hours
on the open grill, and basting with
a mixture of curry powder,
vinegar, water and garlic.
Weston Farm Lamb con
tinuously served an endless line of
people waiting for lamb in pita,
lamb kabobs and butterfly leg of
lamb sandwiches. At Weston’s the
chefs said the secret was in the
marinade yogurt and garlic.
Working Dogs
If you followed your nose
upwind, the ever-popular sheepdog
demonstration was in
progress. Twelve-year-old Meg
and eight-year-old Kate skillfully
penned and herded the flock at the
simple Scottish commands given
by Dave Kennard of New Hamp
shire. Kennard trains working
dogs, pointing out the distinction
from trial dogs. He said tarm dogs
have more ability to “psych out”
the sheep, using strong eye contact
called “wearing.” Kennard said
the dogs instinctively know the
best way to herd sheep. It was a
cool day, but after each task, Meg
and Kate returned to their water
pan, not to drink, but to plop down
in it.
Ernest Hall, sheep shows
coordinator for the festival, said
the event has grown over the
years. Thirteen years ago, he and
his wife, Florence, were in
strumental in establishing the wool
festival. Hall said craftspeople
Were invited to join the affair, and
the event gradually expanded to
include sheep.
Hall said he hopes to see the
festival grow to include more
purebred shows, with “Lincolns
possibly next year.” More com
petitions will mean ‘'either adding
another day, or judging two at a
time.”
Glenn Eidman of Strong City,
Kansas, served as Judge for the
sheep shows, for a second year.
Internationally acclaimed, the
judge is “among the best in the
United States,” Hall said.
Hall said the festival came about
as the result of “the work of a lot of
dedicated people.” Mrs. Hall
added, “in cow countiy, it’s im
portant that everyone knows that
there are a lot of good sheep here,
too.“
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