2026 Mid-American Shetland Sheep Show
September 11-13
Jefferson, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival
Jefferson County Fairgrounds
503 N. Jackson Ave, Jefferson, WI 53549
2026 MASS Show Schedule
Thursday 9/10
5-6 pm Fleece show check-in - (Building 4 West Exhibit Building)
4-8 pm Sheep Check-in - (Building 10 Sheep Barn)
Friday 9/11
8-10 am Fleece Show check-in - (Building 4 West Exhibit Building)
9 am Shetland Silent Auction Opens - (Building 4 West Exhibit Building)
10 am Fleece Show Judging - (Building 4 West Exhibit Building)
2:30-3:30 Fleece Show Silent Auction - (Building 4 West Exhibit Building)
4-5 Fleece Show Private Treaty sales - (Building 4 West Exhibit Building)
6 pm Shetland Silent Auction closes - (Building 4 West Exhibit Building)
6:30 pm Shetland Adult Showman Event - (Building 10 Sheep Barn)
Saturday 9/12
9 am Everything Made With Shetland Wool – (Building 4 West Exhibit Building)
9-5 Fleece Show Private Treaty sales - (Building 4 West Exhibit Building)
10 am Shetland Wool, Filled with Versatility & Character Presentation - (Building 4 West Exhibit Building)
12:00 – new exhibitor meeting – learn exactly what you need to do (Building 10 Sheep Barn)
12:30 - Sheep Show - (Building 10 Sheep Barn)
12-5 Silent auction - (Building 4 West Exhibit Building)
6 pm Potluck - (Building 4 West Exhibit Building)
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Sunday 9/13
8:30 am Shetland Sheep Show: Patterns and Colors - (Building 10 Sheep Barn)
Become a MASS Show Sponsor
Sheep Show Class Sponsor
$45 USD
Fleece Show Class Sponsor
$25 USD
MASS Show Sponsorship Opportunities
What your donation does:
Supports a community driven 3-day event at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival in Jefferson, WI that educates and promotes Shetland sheep and their related industries to the wider public.
What you receive:
Exposure to 10,000+ visitors traveling from all over the nation.Visitors who will greatly benefit from the products and services your company provides.
Champion: $500
- Large ringside banner (3 x 5 ft), logo on champion prize items, and optional booth space
Blue Ribbon: $250
- Medium ringside banner (2.5 x 4 ft), logo on prize items
Red Ribbon: $100
- Small ringside banner (1.7 x 3 ft)
Everything Made with Shetland Wool
Shetland wool has a long history of being transformed into items that have become family heirlooms, such as Fair Isle sweaters and wedding ring lace shawls. The wave/crimp structure makes Shetland wool unique, with enough bounce and elasticity in the yarn to make exceptional garments. We invite everyone to share the items you crafted using Shetland wool. This show will highlight products made by crafters, shepherds, and more. Enter your hand-made item made from Shetland wool to show the diversity this wool offers. The public can vote for their favorite as they see and learn all about this excellent wool. We welcome crafts of all types. Examples include knitting, weaving, crochet, felting, or other. Throughout the show, the public can vote for their favorite item. We will announce the People’s Choice Award at the show's end. The first place will receive a $50 gift certificate, and the second place will receive a $25 gift certificate to spend with vendors at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival. Some items will be available for silent bid as part of the Mid-American Shetland Show silent auction. ​
Entry check-in:
Friday 8 am-noon
Public viewing:
Friday noon - 5
Saturday 9 am - 4 pm
People’s Choice Award and Bidding Closes
Saturday at 4 pm
How to enter:
To enter your Shetland-made item, please bring your item and an index card with a short description of your handmade item. Entry check-in is Friday 8 am - noon. All work must be that of the entrant and must be made using the majority of Shetland wool. There is no cost to enter. You may donate your entry to the Mid-American Shetland Show silent auction if desired, but it is not required. All entries must be picked up by 11 am Sunday.
Meet the Judges
Fiona and Archie Hipwell
We started with Shetland sheep in 2011 when we moved 30 minutes north from Edinburgh to a 6-acre smallholding near Kinross. We wanted to have sheep that were small and, therefore easy to handle. We met some great Shetland sheep people by visiting local shows in our first summer - they were a wonderful source of encouragement, advice, and help, and continue to be the reason we enjoy the SSS.
We started with 6 gimmers and now have grown to a flock of around 40 (20 breeding ewes and another 20 (mainly lambs and a few old favourites!) that we run on over the winter, but have nearer 75 total over the summer after lambing, when we
have an additional 6 acres of seasonal grazing available.
We enjoy competing with our sheep and fleeces (with the grandchildren being involved too!) and have been delighted to have had repeated successes in the show ring and fleece competitions, including winning the Overall Champion Fleece at the Royal Highland Show with both a coloured fleece and white fleece in different years. Showing allows us to ensure we continue to aim to produce the highest quality that Shetland Sheep are famous for. We concentrate on breeding for correct conformation and quality wool, upholding the 1927 Breed Standard.
We produce and keep our own replacement females, but do buy in new male blood lines when required – this allows us to concentrate on the attributes we want to maintain or improve in our flock whilst reducing biosecurity risks and avoiding in-
breeding. We sell on stock for breeding and fibre flocks, whilst excess males are processed to provide meat boxes, which we sell locally.
Archie is a Director of the Shetland Sheep Society and is currently its Chairman. We are both Shetland Sheep Society Inspectors, and Fiona is a Judge and also a member of the Judges and Inspectors Panel. It is always interesting and enjoyable to see sheep from other parts of the country and a variety of flocks. It is an honour to be asked to judge, and we were particularly delighted to judge the sheep (Fiona) and
fleeces (Archie) at one of the Ruby Anniversary Shows in 2025. We are looking forward to seeing your sheep at Wincsonsin in 2026!
Garrett Ramsay
Garrett Ramsay lives near Winslow, Illinois, where he and his partner, Aaron, operate their farm. He previously lived on a 5th-generation dairy farm that has remained in his family since 1892. Garrett graduated from North Dakota State University with a degree in Animal Science, emphasizing in Genetics and Nutrition. This foundation in animal genetics has served him well in his livestock breeding programs.
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Shetland Sheep
In October 2004, Garrett purchased his first Shetland Sheep, and they quickly became one of his favorite species. Over the years, he has built his flock to approximately 40-50 breeding ewes, (down from a high of 150 ewes when in Minnesota). In the last 10 years, his emphasis has been on horned rams with rare pedigrees, patterns, and genetics. His commitment to the breed has been recognized both domestically and internationally.
Garrett and Aaron have achieved significant success by showing their Shetlands at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival, earning Supreme Champion in 2023 and Reserve Grand Champion Ewe in 2024, along with numerous class and group wins. FFSSA shows in Estes Park, CO, and Ames, IA, also had supreme champion (2015), Reserve Supreme (2018), and Reserve Grand Champion ewe (2019). Their flock has also excelled in fleece competition at the festivals.
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In 2024, Garrett became the first male outside the UK to complete the Judges and Inspector training through the Shetland Sheep Society. He has also been actively involved in importing superior genetics into the United States, including the 2021 importation of frozen semen from top-tier UK rams, working alongside other dedicated American breeders to bring exceptional bloodlines to their flocks.
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In addition to Shetlands, Garrett also keeps Leicester Longwool and Romeldale/CVM sheep, two more heritage breeds, enjoying their distinct characteristics and fiber qualities.
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Other Livestock Interests
Garrett has been involved with pigeons since 1993, winning many color classes/breed wins as well as a Best in Show. He also shows and breeds Cardigan Welsh Corgis, having been in the breed for 21 years and serving as a sweepstakes judge. In recent years, dogs he bred have achieved top national rankings, including the #1 agility Cardigan and #1 bitch in conformation, both competing at Westminster. His breeding program has produced three Best of Breed winners at the National Specialty and earned invitations to Crufts in the UK.
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Throughout all of his breeding programs, Garrett maintains a consistent philosophy: careful genetic selection, attention to breed standards, and a commitment to preserving heritage breeds and rare genetics for future generations.
Show Rules
Rules for Sheep Show:
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All sheep entering must be scrapie-tagged.
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Sheep originating from outside Wisconsin must be accompanied by a currently valid certificate of veterinary inspection for interstate movement.
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No fitting or trimming, this includes bathing/blowing etc.
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Cannot show the sheep to the judge that the judge has bred.
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Ewes must have nursed that calendar year.
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Sheep must be registered to the exhibitor at the time of the show.
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Sheep must be registered with FFSSA. SSS or NASSA.
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Sheep shown in group classes must also be shown in age classes.
Rules for Sunday classes:
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One entry per person is permitted in each class and can be either sex or any color, except in specific colored fleece classes.
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Lamb fleece on hoof: must be born within the calendar year.
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Adult fleece on hoof: must be yearling or older.
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The top two placings of each class go back in for the overall champion and reserve champion.
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Black class - solid black. no modified, no spotting.
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White class - pattern white, not a big white spot (no spotting).
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Katmoget class - black or moorit-based katmoget pattern. No spots.
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Gulmoget class - black or moorit-based gulmoget pattern. No spots.
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Ag Gray/Musket class - black or moorit-based pattern.
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Heterozygous pattern, no spots.
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Moorit class - solid moorit. No modified, no spotting.
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Any other Pattern/Color: this would include everything not already listed: fawn, mioget, shaela, emsket, gul/kat (or other dual patterns), imie, light badgerface, homozygous Ag, sweep, fleckets, sokkets, any spotted sheep.