[Bionic]

My girls were sheared on Wed evening and I am wondering if its worth entering a coloured fleece in the local show in August. Last year there weren't any entries in that class.
Can anyone explain what to do?
Its a lovely sunny day here so currently have the fleece on a table in the back garden for skirting
 

[Fleecewife]

Best done in the sunshine, with a stool to sit on       Lay the fleece out on your board, cut side up, after you've skirted it.  Check for fibre strength by 'snapping' a small lock next to your ear - you're looking for a clear sound - if it's a soggy and dull sound then your fleece probably has a break in it and won't be judged.  Check the fleece is nice and open with no matted bits.    Check all over for double cuts and remove them, plus any veg matter you can see on that side. 
 
Turn the fleece over, so it's now tips up     This is the bit you will be best to sit down for.  Go over the whole fleece checking really carefully for all veg matter, especially around the neck.  If it's not removable easily then use a different fleece to show, although you could pick out the ok bits to spin yourself.   Checking for veg matter can take at least an hour unless you have a really clean fleece.
 
Before rolling, tear off enough britch wool to make the whole thing a bit more oblong - it's usually a bit wider at the bum end than at the shoulders.  If you don't know which end is which, sniff it   
 
Make sure the fleece is laid out with no gaps between staples because rolling emphasises this and opens up the roll so it looks really scruffy.  Roll it by turning each long edge in so you have a three layer thick sandwich, then roll not too tightly from the britch end, but tightly enough to fit into the supplied bag.   Before you roll, double check the show's requirements for rolling.  They always want it with the butt ends visible, tips inside the roll, but some want it a la Wool Board with a twisted rope of neck wool wrapped around and tucked under itself to secure the parcel.  Other shows want no neck rope, so just roll it to the end and it sticks to itself by magic.   If the show bags (they should send them to you) is a plastic bin bag, then don't put the fleece in this until the day you take it to the showground, so it doesn't sweat.
 
Good luck 

[Bionic]

Thanks Fleecewife.  Unfortunately I think all of my fleeces have a bit to much veg matter in to be of any use for showing. Remember me posting pics a month or so ago with my girls covered in hay?
They all now seem to have picked up moss too.  Still, having skirted them this morning I might take another look tomorrow, having read your post, to see if anyone is retrieveable.

[Bramblecot]

Have a go, especially if it is a local show. 

I tried rolling one last year.  I put it on the kitchen table and spent ages picking out the worst of the hay, twigs and moss.  I put it in a clean supermarket bag and happily strolled along to the show tables the evening before the show. OMG how embarrassing!  All the guys were there with beautifully rolled fleeces in pillowcases .  I hadn't thought of that.  Luckily I had a tea towel with me and put that on top of my fleece.  I crept away .  Next afternoon I sneaked into the show tent and promptly got slapped on the back - 1st prize coloured fleece.  It will probably never happen again but I'm certainly going to give it go .

An old hand told me some folk roll the fleece and then trot it out show after show, straight from the bag/pillowcase.  And some people write on the table a phone no. and price for the fleece.

[mmu]

Good to hear from you fleecewife!  I was going to post a question about preparing show fleeces, but have it answered.  I too had beginners luck a few years ago with my jacob fleece, which I just cleaned up a bit and rolled it and put it on the shelf with all the others.  We didn't get any special bags, but maybe things have changed in the intervening years.  I also got a 2nd with a very large dorset x fleece, and I was dead chuffed!  We'll see what happens this year when we really try!