2024 Wyoming Sheep & Wool Festival Program

THERMOPOLIS, WY • 07.12.24 - 07.14.24

Wyoming sheep & wool festivaL AGRICULTURE • ARTS • CULTURE • COMMUNITY

wyoming sheep & wool festival

contents festival guide 2

Why We Celebrate Sheep

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Festival Survey

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Festival Schedule

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Vendor Fair

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Grazing Workshop Program

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Kellen Smith: Live Music & Dance

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Sheepherders Come Bye Program

the people 16

Festival Committee

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WWGA Board

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Festival Speakers

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2024 Sponsors

all the facts 18

History

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More Facts

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Wool Country

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Festival 2025

Find All the Facts: Sheep Terminology throughout the program 1

Why We Celebrate Sheep Wyoming’s sheep and wool industry feeds and clothes the world all while remaining environmentally sustainable. Wool is a natural fiber that does not pollute the world’s oceans and is the result of natural proesses that convert vegetation into products that are necessary for humans, such as warm clothes in cold climates. Meat production is the result of those same natural cycles in which the sheep consume vegetation on lands not otherwise suitable for agriculture.

Ranchlands are essential economic components of our rural communities and we utilize our sheep flocks to provide ecosystem services (whether it’s improvements to habitat for sensitive species, carbon capture, or using grazing for wildfire prevention), as well as preservation of the wide-open spaces, a defining characteristic of the American West.

The advancement of humanity has long been intertwined with sheep, one of the first species humans domesticated some 10,000 years ago. Major medical advancements- from blood donation, heart valves, vaccinations, and artificial hearts- came about from testing on sheep that paved the way for their use in humans.

Wyoming’s sheep and wool industry consists of individuals and families with sheep as the thread that connects us all. While these are commercial enterprises, they are so much more.

We have a bond with our animals and the importance of the human-animal bond is both significant and mutually beneficial. To some shepherds, it also holds a religious significance.

Scientists now recognize such a human-animal bond can be impactful to child development, elderly care, mental illness, physical impairment, dementia, abuse, trauma recovery, and 2

rehabiliation of troubled youth and adults.

Sharing our experiences from the human-animal bond and letting others have the opportunity to get to know this small animal that so greatly benefits humankind advances the common good. This festival brings together, not just members of the sheep and wool-growing community (and we are a community), but expands our community to include members of the public who know nothing at all about sheep, agriculture, or ranching. It’s an opportunity to share family stories, community stories, and our common heritage. We are glad to have you join us.

festival survey We are so glad you have joined us for the 2nd Annual Wyoming Sheep & Wool Festival and we would love to have your feedback about the experience. Please scan the QR code to complete a quick survey about this year’s festival, what you liked or disliked, and let us know how we can improve the event in the future.

accesibility

We value inclusion and access for all participants and are pleased to provide reasonable accommodations for this event. The Hot Springs County Fairgrounds has wheelchair accessible facilities, however, not all of the barns are accessibile. The Wyoming Sheep & Wool Festival will also provide accessible parking, accessible seating and companion seating; and admission of service dogs by request.

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event addresses

friday, july 12

Hot Springs County Fairgrounds

Arapaho Ranch Field Station Tours* Open for tours: 9 am- 4 pm This 80-acre campus on this beautifiul historic ranch includes a Field Station, Mansion, the Schoolhouse, and other structures. The ranch was once known as the Padlock Ranch, home to 8,000 sheep, but is now a cattle operation. A curated historic photo exhibit will be on display in the Mansion.

627 Springview Street Thermopolis, WY 82443

Arapaho Ranch Field Station* 2081 Hamilton Dome Road Thermopolis, WY 82443

schedule

*Only the Field Station Tours will take place at this facility.

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Sustainable Sheep Grazing in the Intermountain West, a Grazing Workshop- hosted by WWGA and NatGLC 8:30 am- 4:30 pm, Fair Building View the detailed workshop schedule on page 13. This workshop is funded by the National Grazing Lands Coalition (NatGLC).

Train the Trainer: Basics of Competitive Wool Evaluation 1 pm- 3 pm, Indoor Arena Targeted learning for educators and volunteers offered by University of Wyoming Extension, this workshop is perfect for those looking to start wool judging/evaluation programs. There are limited spots available; if you did not pre-register, please contact Dr. Whit Stewart at whit.stewart@uwyo.edu.

Art & Woolcraft Show Opening Reception 5:30 pm, Fair Building Juried art and woolcrafts celebrating the sheep and wool industries will debut at this informal reception along with some very special guests. Enjoy a sheepherder’s party and take notes on your favorite pieces of art (we need you to select our People’s & Children’s Choice Awards to be awarded the next night) with smoked lamb (donated by Jones Sheep Company of Thermopolis) and hors d’oeuvres provided by Mack’s Market.

Cash Bar available.

friday, july 12 Multigenerational Sheepherder Panel 6:30 pm, Fair Building While walking through the beautiful works of art, listen to a multi-generational panel of local sheepherders as they reminisce on the past, discuss the present, and gaze into the future of the sheep industry.

Saturday, july 13 Vendor Fair 9 am- 4 pm, Fairgrounds Stroll, shop, and learn about all things sheep and wool at the Hot Springs County Fairgrounds. Please see the Vendors on page 9.

Sheep Terms Ewe: an adult, female sheep.

Ram: an adult, male sheep. In casual use, also called a “buck.”

Lamb: a young sheep.

Wether: a neutered, male sheep.

Art & Woolcraft Exhibition 9 am- 5 pm, Fair Building Curated and juried art and woolcrafts for your viewing. These beautiful works will be judged by category, but we also need your help to select People’s & Children’s Choice Awards! Vote and hear the winners at the Sheepherders Come Bye Awards dinner.

Mountain States Stockdog Trial 9 am until conclusion, Indoor Arena Join the Mountain States Stockdog Association for a sanctioned trial with four classes of working stockdogs. The event will take place in the Indoor Arena.

Sheepherder History Sound Studio 9 am until festival conclusion, Fairgrounds Join Carla Mowell of the ‘My 307’ podcast as she preserves the history of the Wyoming sheep industry.

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event address

Saturday, july 13

Hot Springs County Fairgrounds

Wool Learning Kiosk & Handspinning Fleece Auction 9 am- 4 pm, Fairgrounds Discover the eco-friendly qualities of wool fiber with Dr. Whit Stewart and UW Sheep Program students. Participate in our interactive displays and bid on high-quality fleeces at the silent auction.

627 Springview Street Thermopolis, WY 82443

schedule

Wet Felting Workshop with BJ Edwards 9 am- 3 pm, Sheep Barn Learn the basics of wet felting and create your own custom felted piece from raw wool! Join us for a day-long workshop in wet felting with raw coarse-wool fleeces and learn how to create felted works that preserve the natural “shearling” look of sheepskins, without the skin.

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Lamb, It’s What’s For Dinner 10 am & 2:30 pm, Fairgrounds Join UW meat scientist, Cody Gifford and the Sheep Task Force to explore various lamb cuts and preparation options. Enjoy savory samples and gain insights into direct marketing of lamb and menu expansion.

Is NSIP Realistic For Your Operation?

10:45 am, Fair Building Join Kristin Bieber (Skull Creek Targhees, Montana) and Matt Beals (Dry Sandy Sheep Company, Kansas) to discuss NSIP and the utilization of these genetic tools.

Branding Your Products and/or Operation 11:15 am, Cattle Barn Alma Law, food freedom extraordinaire, has prepared a wonderful presentation for us that contains many insights and resources filtered through his own passionate efforts and experience in branding his own products and business.

Saturday, july 13

Sheep Terms

Agritourism and Value-Added Marketing 12:15 pm, Cattle Barn Join Hailey Sorg, University of Wyoming Extension Educator for the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality (WORTH) Initiative, for an insightful presentation on agritourism and value-added marketing. Discover innovative strategies to enhance agricultural business profitability and learn how to attract and engage tourists through unique, value-added experiences.

Yearling: a sheep that is one-year old.

Leaving It Better Than We Found It: How Conservation and Producers Have the Same Goals 1:30 pm, Cattle Barn Join Jaden Bales, Communications Director for the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, as he discusses the commonalities between conservation and agricultural producers and how we all can work together to preserve wonderful Wyoming.

WWGA Membership Business Meeting 2:30 pm, Fair Building The Wyoming Wool Growers Association will host its annual summer meeting and approve the coming year’s budget, hold elections, and reflect on the previous year and plan for the upcoming year for the Association.

Art & Woolcraft Silent and Virtual Auction 5:30- 7 pm, Fair Building Continue to browse the Art & Woolcraft show and place bids for your favorite pieces for a chance to own them. Interested parties can bid in-person through the silent auction or through the Wyoming Sheep & Wool Festival Facebook page where each piece will be posted and bids can be made through comments. Winners will be announced at 7 pm during the Sheepherders Come Bye Awards Dinner. Cash bar will open.

Hogget: a sheep that is between one and two years old.

Flock/Herd: a group of sheep assembled together.

Band: generally refers to a group of approximately 1,000 sheep.

Mob: a group of sheep that has been raised in a very similar manner and condition for an entire season.

NSIP: the National Sheep Improvement Program. Breeding values are generated for participating sheep producers giving greater genetic predictability.

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event address Hot Springs County Fairgrounds 627 Springview Street Thermopolis, WY 82443

Saturday, july 13 Sheepherders Come Bye Awards Dinner 6 pm- 8 pm, Fair Building The Wyoming Wool Initiative and Wyoming Wool Growers Association host a beautiful evening of celebration and recognition of Wyoming sheep producers. The WWI and WWGA will give annual awards and recognize the winners of the Art & Woolcraft Show. Tickets required; limited availability at the door. MENU: Roasted lamb, cheesy potatoes, broccoli salad, creamy mac salad, and dinner roll; Cash Bar. See program on page 15.

schedule

Live Music & Dance with Kellen Smith & the Nate Champion Band 8 pm- 10 pm, Fair Building Let loose and wear your dancing boots! Following the Sheepherders Come Bye, Kellen Smith will put on a show to remember! No ticket required for this free party, so come join us!

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Sunday, july 14 WWGA Board Meeting 8 am, Fair Building The WWGA will conduct its monthly board meeting.

Vendor Fair 9 am- 12 pm, Fairgrounds The vendor fair is open for strolling. Check out the vendors!

Festival Committee Meeting and Clean-Up 10 am, Fair Building The commitee will meet to evaluate the festival. If you would like to be involved, please attend!

Vendors at the fair Pretty Pelts: The Wyoming Wool Growers Association is the statewide organization for Wyoming sheep and wool producers and is the host of the Wyoming Sheep & Wool Festival. Stop by the WWGA booth to pick up a membership application, ask questions, or purchase a beautiful sheep pelt, wool wax creams and lotions, and many other American sheep/wool products.

Support the Foundation: The Wyoming SHEEP Foundation was founded by Wyoming Wyoming Wool Growers Association as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to preserve and promote our state’s sheep industry heritage. The Wyoming Sheep & Wool Festival is a project that fits right into the mission of the SHEEP Foundation as revealed in the acronym “SHEEP” which stands for “Sheep Heritage, Education and Environment Projects.”

Sheep Terms Mule/Muley: a crossbred sheep.

Colostrum: the first milk a ewe produces after giving birth, containing antibodies and concentrated nutrients for the lambs.

Crutching: act of shearing wool from between the rear legs and around the tail of the sheep.

Wool in the Winds: Lynda German will bring her beautiful felted works of art for all to enjoy. Her needle felted wool paintings are something to behold.

Lyn Foley Creates: Wool hangings, paintings, children’s books and more.

Mountain Meadow Wool Mill: The Mill will have their staff available to talk about the mill, showcase textiles they create, and more. ​ arm Service Agency: Talk to the FSA staff about what they do F for agricultural producers in Wyoming.

vendors

Wild West Rug Hooking Demonstration: Join Sylvia and her group as they demonstrate how to hook wool rugs in this educational booth.

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Vendor Fair location Vendor booths are located throughout the fairgrounds. Stroll through the indoor arena, cattle barn, sheep barn, and more to visit all the vendors!

Vendors at the fair Wyoming Women For the Land Initiative: The goal of American Farmland Trust’s (AFT) Women For the Land initiative (WFL) is to intentionally engage women who own and manage farmland and ranchland to further the AFT mission to protect agricultural land, promote sound production practices, and keep producers on the land. In partnership with Wyoming Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and Y2 Consultants, AFT’s Pacific Northwest region is exploring options to expand WFL programming into Wyoming. Come by the booth to learn more!

vendors

Sylvia’s: Sylvia will also have a vendor booth with hand dyed wool fabric, yarn, fiber, and hand made soap.

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Rock Creek Watering Hole: Come experience life as a sheepherder! Enjoy sleeping in an authentic sheep camp on a 5th generation working sheep ranch amidst the beautiful sagebrush covered mountains along a fish filled creek. We will supply you with all of your meals, including gourmet lamb suppers. You can either spend the day relaxing in the Rock Creek oasis, or ride along with sheep woman, Marie McClaren, to learn about and get firsthand experience of day to day tasks.

The tasks include, but are not limited to, moving/supplying camps, shearing, lambing, docking, trailing, visiting with the Peruvian sheepherders and so much more!

Cottonwood Creek Wool: Wool pellets for your garden. Made with 100% Wyoming wool, the pellets increase nitrogen and oxygen in the soil.

Hot Springs County Trapper: Ever wanted to learn more about trapping predators, common practices, techniques or something else? Ask your questions and learn.

Vendors at the fair

Sheep Terms

Bureau of Land Management: The Worland BLM Office will be at the Festival to provide information on grazing permits, recreation, conservation, and so much more. They will also discuss how the local offices work alongside the agricultural industry to preserve the Wyoming rangelands.

Fleece: term to describe the wool from a single sheep in the ‘grease’ state.

Hot Springs County Conservation District & NRCS: Learn about the watershed, projects in the county and the collaboration between NRCS and Conservation Districts.

USDA AG Statistics: The USDA works tirelessly to provide statistics on the ag industry from the local to national level.

Learn how and why!

WY Livestock Board: Meet with staff from the WLB and learn about the department’s role in protecting livestock from disease and theft.

Chuck Wagon Cooking: Chuck wagon cooking demonstration with food samples.

Sheep Wagon Exhibit: We will have working sheep wagons from across Wyoming set-up for you to explore!

Greasy Fleece: a fleece that has not been washed, remaining in a similar state as when it was shorn.

Lanolin: the natural oil and grease found in the sheep’s wool.

Jug: an individual lambing pen in which a ewe and newborn lambs bond.

Tupping: the act of breeding/mating ewes and rams.

Hot Springs County Museum: The museum will have a historic sheep exhibit and willl remain open throughout the event.

Address: 700 Broadway St, Thermopolis, WY. Laramie Fiber Guild: The Sheep-to-Shawl demonstration will include carding, spinning and weaving, along with demonstrations of cleaning raw wool samlpes. The loom will be warped ahead of time with handspun natural-colored wool yarn, and spinners will produce more yarn for the weaving of a shawl, which will be completed at the event.

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Vendors at the fair NCAT: Learn about the Climate Beneficial Wool Project for western fine wool producers and how it could benefit you.

Taste of the Wind: Wyoming raised felted pelts, tanned hides, clean ram skulls, and lamb snack sticks will be available.

Siddoway Sheep Camp & Cooking Demos: Join the camp for some cooking education and stories.

Foot Hills Eclectic Design: Explore a variety of artistic creations ranging from fiber art to wood carvings and many things in-between while demoing fiber art techniques.

Guided Rock Farms: Fresh milled flours, lamb, yarns, Navajo Churro rugs, batting, and more.

vendors

WORTH Initiative: A booth from University of Wyoming’s Outdoor Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality program.

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Beginner Shearers: Stop by the booth to learn how to join a shearing crew as a beginner shearer, receive more training, and more opportunities to hone your skills.

Kid’s Sheep Camp Circle: Head to the sheep wagons for some kid friendly acitvities including lots of coloring, explore a sheep wagon, bum lambs, wet felting, and more.

Spinning, Weaving and Other Demonstrations: Join our vendors as they demonstrate how to spin fiber into yarn and then create beautiful textiles through weaving. and much more...

Grazing Workshop Schedule

Speakers:

Friday, July 12th Welcome & Introduction 8:30 am, Fair Building

Derek Scasta, Ph.D.

Myth-Busting Climate SMART Programs & the Benefits for Wyoming Sheep Operations 9:45 am, Fair Building Danielle Duni and Daniel Burton (NRCS) will speak on the availability of climate SMART programs for WY sheep producers. Each will address common questions and concerns about the programs.

Keeping Working & Wild Lands Working Together: How Do We Continue?

10:30 am, Fair Building Alex Few will talk about her organization’s role in community conservation, how their initiatives are supporting agriculture, and about conservation easements as a tool for preserving working lands.

---Break for Lunch--on your own

Danielle Duni

Alex Few, Ph.D.

Rancher & Speaker Panel 11:15 am, Fair Building Ask questions and discuss topics with the speakers and local ranchers.

Barton Stam

workshop schedule

Grazing within the Carbon Credit System: Carbon Ranch Planning 101 8:45 am, Fair Building Dr. Scasta will highlight research completed at the University of Wyoming on carbon at the ranch level. He will also discuss what these findings mean for the Wyoming rancher.

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Learn more about Kellen here:

Live Music & Dance Kellen Smith is a singer/songwriter from Gillette, Wyomimg. He is a University of Wyoming graduate, and a fifth-generation cattle rancher. He began playing guitar and writing while in college at Laramie, WY. Smith’s devotion to crafting songs wrapped in western stories and imagery offers a unique perception for the listener to enjoy.

Kellen makes his home on the Daly Ranch. The Daly Ranch was established in 1894, by John T. Daly, and has been run for the last 125 years as a working cattle ranch. John T. Daly is the great, great, Grandfather of Kellen Smith. In those 125 years, the Daly Ranch has grown to its current size.

Currently, Kellen Smith lives on the ranch with his wife and three children, they are the sixth generation of family members to live on the ranch.

Saturday, July 13th, 2024 | 8-10 pm Fair Building, Hot Springs County Fairgrounds Free, no ticket required

Sheepherders come bye saturday, July 13th

6-8 pm, tickets required, limited availability at door Fair Building, Hot Springs County Fairgrounds

6:00 pm Welcome & Dinner

Art & Woolcraft Silent Auction 7:15 pm Introductions

Arts & Woolcraft Awards

People’s Choice

Children’s Choice

Category Winners

Grand Champion

UW Lamb-A-Year Awards

WWGA Awards

Harold Josendahl Patron Award

Compadre Award

Amigo Award

Portavoz Award

7:45 pm

Silent Auction Conclusion

8:00 pm Live Music & Dance w/ Kellen Smith

& the Nate Champion Band 10:00 pm

Conclusion of Event

WWGA Awards Harold Josendahl Patron Award: presented to a sheep producer who has made substantial contributions to the Wyoming sheep industry and the WWGA and has exhibited dedicated volunteer commitment and service above and beyond the call of duty.

Compadre Award: recognizes industry contributions from a professional in a position or field related, either directly or indirectly, to sheep production. Recipients must show a strong and significant contribution to the industry, its organizations, and its producers, above and beyond that called for in their professional capacity.

Amigo Award: recognizes outstanding achievements in innovative management of resources or application of new techniques to enhance flock production/protection or natural resource management as well as a strong commitment to teaching and educating producers.

Portavoz Award: recognizes outstanding year-long coverage of the sheep industry by members of the media who have exhibited a strong commitment to fair, balanced, and consistent reporting and coverage of the sheep industry, locally, statewide, and/or nationally.

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Festival Committee

From L to R: Micah Most, Alison Crane, Heather Jones, Marie McClaren, Barrie Bryant, Cat Urbigkit, Lindsay Stewart, Gwen Geis, and Whit Stewart; not pictured, Andrea Graham.

people

WWGA Board

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Mike Curuchet President- Region 4

Cat Urbigkit Vice President- Region 3

Heather Jones Director - Region 1

Gwen Geis Director- Region 2

Marvin Schmidt Director - Lamb Feeder

Ivan Laird Director- Small Flocks

Alodie Moore Treasurer & Financial Director

Joe Bailey Mills Collegiate Woolgrowers Rep Ex-Officio

Regan Smith Immediate Past President Ex-Officio

Marcia Federer Auxiliary Representative Ex-Officio

Whit Stewart, Ph.D. UW Sheep Specialist Ex-Officio

Alison Crane, Ph.D. Executive Director

Festival Speakers Alma Law lives in Riverton, Wyoming. He is on the board of the Fremont Local Market, a Wyoming Food Freedom full-time, indoor farmers market. He has always been absorbed in food and cooking.

He currently stocks his home-milled wheat sourdough loaves at the Riverton store and by special order to local food events. His most popular bread is his ancient grain Einkorn Sourdough made from berries purchased from Sarah Woods of Wyoming Heritage Grains.

Whit Stewart, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Extension Sheep Specialist for the state of Wyoming.

His interests are conducting applied research and extension education for the betterment of the commercial sheep industry.

Hailey Sorg University of Wyoming Extension Educator for the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality (WORTH) Initiative

BJ Edwards Taste of the Wind, WY

Kristin Bieber Matt Beals Skull Creek Targhees, MT Dry Sandy Sheep Co., KS

Cody Gifford, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in Meat Science at the University of Wyoming.

people

Jaden Bales is the WY Wildlife Federation’s Communications Director. Jaden was raised on farm in rural Northeast Oregon before moving to Wyoming and learning of all the hunting opportunities that exist here. He enjoys a good and heavy packout with friends and is always eager to explore new parts of the state with a big game tag in his pocket.

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All the Facts:

History & Terms of the Wyoming Sheep Industry

by Cat Urbigkit

A little bit of local history

Wyoming was a major trailing route for domestic sheep long before it attracted flocks to its ranges. Sheep flocks were trailed across the state enroute to Oregon and California from about 1840 to 1860, and after the Civil War, sheepmen began moving flocks into the state for permanent settlement. Many of those sheep flocks came from West Coast and were progeny of the flocks that had trailed West in the decades prior.

After years as serving as a guide for military expeditions, in 1871, John D. Woodruff built the first recorded white man’s cabin in the Owl Creek area of the southwestern portion of the Bighorn Basin. Woodruff established a cattle outfit and eventually brought 6,000 sheep from Oregon over the Oregon Trail and to the Wind River Reservation, after he had secured grazing privileges from Shoshone Chief Washakie. His ranch operation became one of the first and largest sheep ranching operations in Wyoming. After Woodruff’s outfit was sold, the location eventually became the Embar Ranch. Other famous sheep outfits in the region included the Padlock Ranch and LU Ranch.

Sheep in the process of loading a rail car, Charles J. Belden, University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

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Lucy Morrison Moore was known as the “Sheep Queen of Wyoming” as she grazed sheep flocks throughout the region from the Wind River Valley and Shoshoni to Thermopolis and Kirby in the 1880s.

She employed herders and ran 16 bands of sheep at the peak of her ranching enterprise.

David and James Dickie moved into the Grass Creek area around 1889, eventually developing a ranch enterprise that peaked at 40,000 ewes, including high grade Rambouillet ewes.

By 1900, the Union Pacific Railroad reported more than 387,000 head of sheep in the Bighorn Basin, and the state was home to more than 3 million sheep.

The Burlington Northern Railroad expanded from Montana to Thermopolis in 1910, providing for ease of shipping of live sheep and wool to distant markets.

But the unregulated use of western rangelands was subject to conflict and range wars between cattle and sheep producers. Many of the sheep grazing Wyoming rangelands were “tramp herds” coming from out of the state or region to eat the grass before moving elsewhere. Cattle producers established “deadlines” where they would defend their range from encroachment by sheep flocks. Rangeland violence ensued. By the start of World War I, the era of tramp herds ended, and resident cattle and sheep growers created grazing associations to control livestock use of the western range.

The Dust Bowl Era of 1930s involved severe drought conditions for much of the nation for nearly a decade. Dust from over-grazed and over-plowed land created huge dust storms over

a large portion of the country, accompanied by crop failures, farm foreclosures and financial collapse for many people. People and their livestock needed feed, but there were more mouths to feed than food available.

In 1934 and 1935, the federal government purchased and killed cattle and sheep from farms and ranches in an emergency drought relief program. The animals that were deemed unfit for human consumption were destroyed on ranches, while the meat from the remaining animals was distributed in food programs nationwide. More than 586,000 Wyoming sheep were purchased and destroyed in Wyoming.

To improve the precarious condition of the rangelands, Congress enacted the Taylor Grazing Act, creating grazing districts where livestock use could be controlled and monitored.

Congress also established the U.S. Soil Conservation Service to enforce soil conservation practices in American agriculture, but relief didn’t come until the rains began in 1939, just as World War II began.

Today, Wyoming has an inventory of about 300,000 sheep and lambs. Hot Springs County, where the festival is held this year, has about 3,000 sheep.

Sources: Historical Phases of the Sheep Industry in Wyoming by Col. Edward. N. Wentworth; America’s Sheep Trails by Edward N. Wentworth; wyohistory. org; Wyoming Will Be Your New Home by Michael Cassity; The Drought of 1934.

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More FACts Transhumance

Wyoming’s range sheep production system is a system called transhumance. It involves sheepherders moving with their flocks into higher elevations for summer grazing as winter snows recede, and trailing back down into lower elevation winter ranges.

It’s a system that has long been practiced in Old World regions by Spanish, French, and Basque herders, and has been adapated for western rangelands.

Our canine companions

Sheep producers use two types of working dogs with distinct jobs. Herding dogs (Border Collies, Australian shepherds, etc.) are trained to move the sheep flock as directed by the herder, while the larger livestock protection dogs (Great Pyrenees, Akbash, etc.) help to keep the sheep safe from predators.

what’s a bellwether?

A bellwether is a sheep that leads the flock, often with a bell hanging from its neck.

Traditionally, a sheep leading the flock is a wether (a neutered male sheep), but sometimes it’s actually a friendly ewe that leads the flock.

why do some sheep wear bells?

Bells help the herder know where the sheep are located at any given time. The ability to hear the bells helps to locate the sheep in low-visibility situations (like during snowstorms or when the sheep are in thick brush or timber), or when the flock is spread out to graze on rugged rangelands. Any sudden change in the sound of the bell, such as fast rattling, can alarm the shepherd or a livestock protection dog that a predator has spooked the sheep.

Trailing Sheep, Heather Jones, Thermopolis, WY.

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what’s a marker sheep?

Herders use black sheep or “marker” sheep

with bright dye painted on their bodies to keep track of the number of sheep in a flock.

Most flocks have 1 marker sheep per 100 white sheep. So, if a sheepherder only counts 3 marker sheep in a flock of 400, that means there are sheep missing.

what’s a camp tender?

A camp tender comes from the main ranch to check on the sheepherders, deliver groceries and supplies, and move the sheep wagons as needed.

what’s a sheep wagon?

Sheepherders live in sheep wagons, their homes on wheels! The sheep wagon was invented in Wyoming in 1884. James Candlish of Rawlins and Frank George of Douglas are often credited with the invention, while Marshall Buxton of Casper is thought to have improved on the initial design.

wool or hair?

Some breeds of sheep are specialized for wool production and are shorn yearly.

Sheep wagons with horses, Marie McClaren, Kemmerer, WY.

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Most Wyoming range sheep are of these wool breeds such as Rambouillet, Targhee, Columbia, etc.

In contrast, hair sheep breeds naturally shed their wool and are generally used for meat and milk production. Hair sheep breeds include Katahdin, Dorper, etc., and are very popular in farm flocks.

Shear facts

Lambs eating hay, Alison Crane, Powell,

Shearing (cutting off the sheep’s wool) is much like getting a haircut and does not harm the sheep. Sheep in this region are shorn once a year and their soft, fine wool is used to make high-quality clothing and outdoor apparel.

why shear sheep?

Shearing helps to prevent the sheep from overheating in the hot summer months and keeping the wool trimmed away from the eyes prevents wool blindness. Shearing a ewe prior to lambing helps the lambs find the nipples for nursing much more easily. Shearing is a good animal health practice.

Shearers

Most shearers in the west make their living shearing sheep. Working on a crew is typically seasonal, meaning, the shearers work on a crew for the spring. Some will continue shearing throughout the year in lamb feedlots.

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Shearing Day, Heather Jones, Thermopolis, WY.

do sheep get branded?

Yes, sheep are branded to identify the flock owner, but brands are applied with a special wool paint rather than a hot iron. Sheep owners on th western range use both brands and earmarks to identify members of their flocks (as well as ear tags).

wool country

The University of Wyoming was the first institution in the country to offer a Ph.D. in wool. In 1907, the university established a wool department and wool lab under the direction of longstanding Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station Director, John Hill. The program received international recognition for improving wool scouring, coring, and sheep culling techniques. While the wool lab no longer exists, Wyoming’s sheep program has been revitalized in recent years under the direction of Dr. Whit Stewart.

A boy with his fleece and sheep, Charles J. Belden, University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center.

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The Wyoming Sheep & Wool Festival is a project of the Wyoming Wool Growers Association and the Wyoming SHEEP Foundation. The festival is supported in part by the grants from the Wyoming Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Wyoming Legislature, and from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, a program of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. The 2024 Wyoming Sheep & Wool Festival is made possible with the partial funding by the Wyoming Humanities Council.

Support for the festival provided by: Jones Sheep Company- Thermopolis, WY Discover Thermopolis Thermopolis Chamber of Commerce LaDonna Miller & Carrie Bennet

Thank You!!!

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Join us at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains for the 3rd Annual Wyoming Sheep & Wool Festival.

Announcing the 2025 host

Celebrate: Basque Culture Basque Dancers Basque Food Stations and much more!

Buffalo, Wyoming July 11-13th, 2025 Johnson County Fairgrounds Free, Live music and dance featuring

Tris Munsick & the Innocents

Mark your Calendars!!!

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