Junior Sheep & Goat Skillathon @ Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

As a reminder, there will be a $5.00 registration fee to enter the skillathon. The fee will help defray the cost of refreshments, awards and supplies.

2024 Junior Sheep & Goat Skillathon will be held Sunday, May 5 at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. Pre-registration is required by Wednesday, April 24. The Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival is sponsored by the Maryland Sheep Breeders Association. It is always held the first full weekend of May at the Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship, Maryland. Parking is free. There is a small entrance fee.

Registration for the skillathon starts at 8 a.m. The contest starts at 9 a.m. Awards will be given at approximately 1 p.m. Everything should be done by 2 p.m.

The sheep and goat skillathon is open to any youth between the ages of 8 and 18. Individuals and teams from any county or state may participate. Youth compete according to their ages as of January 1, 2023: junior, 8-10; intermediate, 11-13; and senior, 14-18.

A skillathon tests the youth’s broad knowledge of a topic. At the sheep and goat skillathon, all stations will obviously pertain to sheep and goats. Stations in the past have included breed ID, feed/forage ID, meat ID and judging, equipment ID, hay judging, fleece (wool) judging, sheep judging (wool or dual-purpose breed), and fiber ID. There have also been stations pertaining to animal health (general disease and parasites).

The Maryland Sheep Breeders Association provides ribbons and premiums to the top 10 individuals in each age category. Members of the top three teams in each age category receive festival t-shirts. University of Maryland Extension usually provides additional prizes.

Use these online quizzes to study for the skillathon: https://www.sheepandgoat.com/online-quizzes

University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity, please contact us at least two weeks prior to the event at (301) 791-1304.

Wool Judging and Evaluation School

On Saturday, May 4 at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, there will be a WOOL JUDGING AND EVALUATION SCHOOL for youth. It will be held from 1 to 4 pm in the dining halls, the same place as the skillathon. It is open to any youth (8-18) who is interested in learning more about wool, either for personal knowledge or to gain experience for skillathon and other competitions. Youth interested in competitive wool judging are especially encouraged to attend. If there is enough interest, plans are to start a 4-H wool judging program (similar to livestock and dairy judging) in Maryland. The school will taught by Dr. Whit Stewart, the University of Wyoming Sheep Specialist. The school is FREE to attend. Pre-registration is requested.

You don't need to participate in the skillathon in order to participate in the wool judging school.

A wool judging and evaluation school for adults (over 18) will be held in the morning from 9 am to 12 pm. The registration fee is $20 person. Registration is with the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival at www.sheepandwool.org (click on workshops and seminars).