WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Young sheep exhibitors from 20 states participated in a variety of events at this year’s All-American Junior Show on Independence Day weekend in New England.

The All-American Junior Show (AAJS), in its 22nd year, is the largest junior sheep show in North America, with almost 300 exhibitors this year. According to the show’s young exhibitors, there are several reasons the three-day program has such a high attendance, despite the venue changing each year. “I’ve loved showing at AAJS ever since my family first started going to it, 10 years ago,” said Alex Ludlam, 16, of Allegan, Mich.

“It’s such a great place to meet new people and experience different states as the show travels year after year.”

Like other juniors, Ludlam went to AAJS prepared for competition. In addition to the breeding and market sheep show spanning Saturday and some of Sunday, there was a sheep skill-a-thon, judging contest, promotional contests, wool show and showmanship classes juniors could participate in to win points. Points were tallied at the conclusion of the show, and individuals with the most points in their particular sheep breed received the Top Gun Award, and a belt buckle with the breed name inscribed on it. Ludlam won Top Gun in the Shetland category.

“It’s a pretty great feeling to be recognized for exhibiting my breed,” Ludlam said. “Shetlands aren’t widely known, and I love promoting them as much as possible, even if that means I have to be ready to get up in front of everyone.”

Due to the high number of juniors, showmanship classes are divided by age, 5 through 21. Austin Grace from West Moreland, N.H. won the 15-year-old age group. “I like the people here, and I like to show sheep,” he said. “I didn’t expect to win, really, there’s a lot of kids that come here from out West, so it’s a tough show.”

The 21-year-old age category winner was Kody Wolf of Carey, Ohio. “I hadn’t done showmanship in a while, not since I was 14,” he said. “So I figured since this was my last year to be eligible, I might as well go out there, and it went well.”

AAJS offers activities just for fun – depending on the venue. This year, participants got to visit the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, which was a short distance from the Big E Mallary Complex where the AAJS took place. Juniors who took part in the AAJS three-on-three basketball tournament got to play on the court at the Hall of Fame.

AAJS Chair Deb Hopkins said the Hall of Fame was one of the things that made this year’s show among the best. “The kids who played in the three-on-three tourney really had a once in a lifetime experience at the Hall of Fame,” Hopkins said. “The excellent quality of the Saturday night BBQ was very well received with the homemade cupcake display that spelled out AAJS.”

Ludlam agreed. “The highlight of my show had to be the chicken dinner that the AAJS put on,” he said. “It was great to see everyone socializing and the kids having fun on the new inflatables they rented this year.”

For some exhibitors and their families, Saturday night was a highlight because of the grand West Springfield fireworks display which was easily seen from the Big E grounds. For others, it was the adult showmanship class in which juniors could nominate a parent to participate, creating a role-reversal seen in few shows across the country. Hopkins said AAJS organizers have honed their skills through the years to incorporate everything that makes the show so popular.

“It’s special because we focus on a lot more than just the sheep show,” Hopkins said. “We try to make it a truly family experience and have a lot of additional activities for families to make more like a vacation, but also incorporate educational activities for our exhibitors to expand their sheep knowledge.”

In 2016, the show is headed to East Lansing, Mich. at Michigan State University. Details on that show can be found at www.countrylovin.com/AAJSS