Event Information
Date: Friday, April 3, 2020
Location:
Tarleton State University
Agricultural Center
Ag Mechanics Building
County Road 518
Stephenville, TX 76401
The GPS coordinates you can use are 32.237415, -98.201903.
https://goo.gl/maps/GKnfyxjCZBt
Schedule:
| Registration opens at 7:30 am and will be open all day. Registration will be at the Tarleton Agricultural Center Ag Mechanics Building. | ||
| Contests | Check-in by: | Orientation/Contest Starts |
| Livestock Skillathon | “Come & Go” See rules for details |
8:00 am – 12:00 noon |
| Entomology Identification | 7:45 am | 8:00 am |
| Mohair Judging & Evaluation | 8:45 am | 9:00 am |
| Range & Pasture Grass Identification (Plant ID) | 8:45 am | 9:00 am |
| Range Evaluation | 9:45 am | 10:00 am |
| Wool Judging & Evaluation | 11:15 am | 11:30 pm |
| Awards Ceremony #1 | Approximately 1:00 pm or immediately following completion of tabulation for Entomology, Mohair, Wool, Range Evaluation, and Range & Pasture Grass (Plant ID) contests. | |
| Ag Product Identification | 1:45 pm | 2:00 pm |
| Awards Ceremony #2 | Approximately 3:30 pm or immediately following completion of tabulation for Livestock Skillathon and Ag Product Identification. | |
Printable Schedule (pdf)
Entry Fee:
- $10 per contestant
- Payable through 4-H Connect*
- Check with your local county Extension office to ask about deadlines specific to your county****.
Description/Objective:
The Wool Contest tests a 4-H member’s knowledge and ability to determine the grade, rank, and categorize wool. The contest provides an opportunity for youth to compete and develop skills that can be used on a sheep ranching operation, within the wool industry, or agricultural teaching field.
Rules & Guidelines
District 8 4-H Spring Judging Contests Rules & Guidelines
Wool Scan Sheet
Contest Information
CONTEST METHOD OF CONDUCT
- The contest will be divided into two areas: fleece evaluation of grading rail and wool class placing and reasons.
- The contest will be conducted using a scan sheet or evaluation sheet that will be provided for contestants on the day of the contest. Wool scan sheet, #528-5 will be used.
- While completing the competition, there will be no conferring between contestants or between a contestant and anyone else except as directed by contest officials.
- Contestants may use an unmarked clipboard and blank scan sheet or evaluation sheet. Contestants may bring no books, notes, measuring devices or other reference material into the contest area. Contest officials reserve the right to check contestant’s clipboard and scan sheet to make sure they are blank. Violators are subject to contest dismissal.
- Contestants should handle the fleeces with care and respect for fellow contestants. Fleeces should not be rough handled in any manner. Wool locks should be pulled with care and only the minimum amount needed to complete reasons. Contestants will be warned for inappropriate wool handling and contestants can lose their privilege to handle fleeces or take samples.
- In the event of a team/individual tie, the tie breaker will be the team/individual with the highest rail score. If the rail score doesn’t break the tie, then it moves to overall reasons, then placings, and finally reasons score from hardest to easiest placing class.
FLEECE EVALUATION OF GRADING RAIL
- The fleece rail may consist of 15-30 fleeces for a total of 150-300 points. The rail may be divided into two rails with approximately 1-2 minutes per fleece.
- The grading rail consists of three wool quality characteristics: wool quality, staple length, and clean fleece yield.
- Contestants must determine the quality grade of each fleece. Each row in Table 1 contains a wool quality grade and this is defined by three different systems (blood grade, spin count, and fiber diameter). For this contest, grades are categories by the blood grade system. Contestants will receive 4 points for full credit for each correct wool blood grade selected. If contestants select a blood grade that is one grade above or below the correct grade, they will receive 2 points.
- Contestants must determine the staple length category that each fleece would be classified into. Within each wool quality grade, there are length specifications that determine the fleece staple length classification. Contestants will receive 2 points for each staple length category correctly answered. No points will be awarded for incorrect answers.
TABLE 1: WOOL QUALITY GRADE AND LENGTH STANDARDS
| Wool Quality Grades | Staple Lengths | ||||
| Blood Grade | Spin Count | Fiber Diameter (Microns) | Staple | French Combing | Clothing |
| Fine | 64s, 70s, 80s | < 22.04 | >3.00’’ | 3.00’’-2.00’’ | <2.00’’ |
| Half | 60s and 62s | 22.05-24.94 | >3.25’’ | 3.25’’-2.25’’ | <2.25’’ |
| 3/8 | 56s and 58s | 24.95-27.84 | >3.50’’ | <3.50’’ | |
| 1/4 | 54s and 50s | 27.85-30.99 | >4.00’’ | <4.00’’ | |
| Low 1/4 | 48s and lower | > 31.00 | >4.00’’ | <4.00’’ | |
- Contestants will estimate the percent clean fibers based on raw fleece weight. If a contestant is within 4 points above or 4 points below the official percentage yield, they will receive full credit of 4 points. If the constant is within 8 points above or 8 points below the percentage yield, they receive partial credit of 2 points. Table 2 defines the average and normal range of clean fleece yields based on the different blood grade categories.
TABLE 2: AVERAGE AND NORMAL RANGE OF CLEAN FLEECE YIELDS
| Wool Quality Grades (Blood System) | |||||
| Clean Fleece Yield | Fine | Half | 3/8 | 1/4 | Low ¼ |
| Average (%) | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 | 65 |
| Normal Range (%) | 40-60 | 45-65 | 50-70 | 55-75 | 55-75 |
PLACING CLASSES AND REASONS
- Contestants will place four fleeces within a class based on the amount of clean fibers present. Each placing class is worth 50 points.
- There will be two to four classes.
- Contestants will have 10-15 minutes per class.
Contest Study Materials
- Judging Wool & Mohair
- Texas 4-H Wool Judging Contest General Rules & Information
Agent Information
2020 Contest Letter – MS Word – pdf
2019 Contest Letter – MS Word – pdf