Powell Shoshone FFA’s wool judging team earned five top three placements and made its presence known at the Wyoming Wool Initiative 7220 Wool Invitational Contest in Laramie. 

Powell’s team, one of six at the contest, is only in its third year but still placed reserve high team overall, senior reserve high team in reasons, fourth in the senior team questions category and fourth in the senior team grading rail category. Individually, Brooke Bessler placed third high overall and third in the senior grading rail category, Emma Brence placed second in the senior reasons category and fifth in the questions category. Alyssa Ely placed fourth in senior individual placings.

“Wool judging is not necessarily a hard skill to learn,” FFA member Katie Morrison said. “Once you have the skill down, it’s kind of just growing from there and getting better.”

Bessler said being able to give reasons on why you judged the wool and knowing grade rail (which pertains to the wool’s physical characteristics) is also a big aspect of wool judging. 

It was Meisja McCrary’s first time out as a wool judging competitor — her experience before that was in livestock judging. 

“I wanted to be a part of the wool judging team just because it was something to do and I felt that it was something out of my comfort zone,” McCrary said. “So I decided to join.”

The biggest difference that McCrary has noticed so far is that in wool judging you are looking at the same thing and trying to compare two different examples. 

“At the end of the day, wool is really just about how much money the producers are gonna make,” Morrison said.

Being able to practice the skills of wool judging is important, which has been difficult this year. The team has only been able to practice twice this year and 7220 was their first contest.

“So doing that well, with very little practice I think that was pretty great,” Morrison said. 

The competition was also a new experience for FFA adviser Ben Curdy, who said the experience was interesting and educational.

“We're lucky that we have Mrs. (Wendy) Smith, in the building here. She's kind of our resident pro, and she coaches these girls and does a really good job of it … they did a really good job. It was impressive to watch,” Curdy said.