The AOA National Fleece Show is taking place this coming weekend, July 21 to 24, in Arlington, Virginia. Volunteering at a fleece show and the National Show in particular, is a wonderful learning experience. You get to hear first hand how the judge evaluates each fleece. In my experience, judges are only too willing to teach as they go along. Besides being useful information if you want to enter a fleece in a competition, you learn from the judge’s scores what a champion fleece looks like. You also see different crimp or lock styles, levels of brightness or luster and get to feel those beautiful buttery feeling fleeces that you just want to take home with you! Fleece shows are also great fun. Offer to volunteer at your nearest fleece show. You will learn so much.