Hot News

07/01/03

BY CARYL VELISEK

It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. These sentiments were echoed time and again during the festival’s run May 3 and 4, 2003, at the Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship, Md.
The festival has grown from a small show of wool sheep held in Carroll County 30 years ago, to a national phenomenon attracting 70,000 people from all over the world.
The Sheep and Wool Festival is an all-volunteer event. Admission and parking are free and there are a myriad of things to do and see during the two days.
New this year were The National Sheep Show for the Natural Colored Wool Growers Association, the presense of the new Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation Showcase, a Junior Lamb Cook-off competition, and the very first Festival Catalogue Art Competition.
The results of the Catalogue Art Competion was the use of winner, Jonathon Polizuk’s artwork on the cover of the catalogues, on advertising, tee-shirts and all other promotional materials for the festival. Polizsuk hails from Catonsville, Md., and attends the Maryland Institute College of Art. His winning artwork shows a hillside pasture closeup with several sheep in the foreground.
The programs included events for sheep breeders and the general public.
There were cheesemaking demonstrations, the Grand Lamb Cook-off, spinning, hand spindle-spinning, knitting, wool dying, and weaving demonstrations, sheep shearing, sheep dog demonstration, seminars on wool measurements from the American Sheep Industry Association, Marketing, and even artificial insemination of sheep.
There were vendors selling everything from wool, articles of clothing, handmade brooms and all kinds of food, roving musicians, face painting, and contests galore.
Richard Hill of Baltimore, Md., attracted a crowd as he sat spinning outside one of the buildings.
“My wife is a knitter,” he said, explaining his zeal for spinning. “She decided five years ago that she would like to spin her own yarn so she came here to learn. I came along and was fascinated. I now own two spinning wheels, two drop spindles and a closet full of rovings (spun yarn).”
Hill has been coming to the festival as a demonstrator for three years now, he said, and he prefers Merino wool.
“I just have fun, it’s relaxing and my wife uses my yarn and some of my friends use it, too,” he said.
Children are a big part of the festival. They enjoyed the animals which they could often touch and pet. Some, like Keith Smithson of Harford County were seen with rubber sheep masks clowning for their parents’ cameras. Others posed in the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation display.
Some of the contest winners were: Jean Redmond, Mohnton, Pa., took first place and champion in the Grand Lamb Cook-off. First place junior was Thomas Felton, New Oxford, Pa.
Club Lamb Jackpot Contest:
Grand champion, Becky Lynch-Benfer; reserve grand champion, Michael Utz. Lightweight champion, Michael Utz. Light mediumweight, Becky Lynch-Benfer. Mediumweight, Michael Utz. Medium heavyweight, Becky Lynch-Benfer
Sheep Photo Contest: First place winners in their categories were Victoria Dicken, Annette Lovell, E. Hope Allen Yankey, Maggie Alexander, Rick Bontz, Barbara Kleese, Kathryn Stokey-Dillon, Annette Lovell, Diane Klingelhofer, Jacqueline Binkley
4-H/FFA Contest Winners:
Senior division, Highland, Katie Mast; intermediate, Highland, Clair Yerger; junior, Highland, Brianne Lippy
Poster Contest winners were Corrinne Ransom, Metzy Prasoda-Rao, Emily Schweich, Corrinne Ransom, Emma Scheicht, Angela Post, Kristen Clark, Stephanie Clark, Megan Clark, Anna Schliecht
Junior Spinning Contest:
Spinning Wheel, Kate Livengood
Shepherd’s Lead:
Junior, Kelci Schexnader; senior, Melana Yancey; adult, Mary Moore
Fine Art Contest;
Grand champion, Oda Van Berg; reserve grand champion, Cher Compton. Acrylic, Tina Stine. Graphics, David Brosch. Graphics, juniors, Kyle Culver. Oil, Oda Von Berg. Oil, juniors, Colleen Zarek. Pastel, Cher Compton. Paste, juniors, Touchiya Mitsuko. Sculpture, Judith McKellar. Tapestry, Debbie Santalla. Watercolor, Zina Poliszuk; juniors, Haley Wong. Miscellaneous, Elizabeth Dodds
Sheep to Shawl:
Champion, Fiber Friends, Clarksburg, Md.; Elaine Parry, Bonnie Frederick; Lanna Ray, Nancy Norris,
Shearer: Tom Howell.
Second place, Butler County Peddlars, Chicora, Penna.
Breed Display:
Wool Breeds, first and grand champion, Border Leicester, American Border Leicester Association.
Dual purpose breeds, first, Finns, Carol Winchell.
Meat Breeds, Dorper, Genell Pridgen.
Minor Breeds, Icelandic, Myrna Eicholtz.