Running of the Wools sheep races return to Washington’s streets
Festival to honor memory of North Beth farmer who supplied flock
This year’s Running of the Wools will be a celebration of life for one of the original organizers who shepherded his flock through the streets of Washington, along with the farm that lost all of its sheep in a terrible barn fire, but is now making a triumphant return to the races.
The annual Running of the Wools festival that features sheep races down South Main Street in the city will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, with vendors and demonstrations telling the rich history of the wool and fiber industry in Washington County.
Washington County Historical Society Executive Director Clay Kilgore, who is one of the event’s organizers, said they will pay homage to Drew Ross Manko, who died Sept. 17 at age 30 following a brief illness. Ross Manko supplied the sheep for the first three years of the races from the Ross Farm he operated in North Bethlehem Township up until his death.
“We want to honor Drew this weekend. That’s a big part of it,” Kilgore said. “Honor the work that he has done. He was just incredible.”
The winner’s circle where the fastest sheep will be crowned will honor Ross Manko, and it will have a portrait of him so he is remembered as part of the championship photographs.
The tragedy of Ross Manko’s death was compounded by the Feb. 2 fire at the “old barn” at the Ross Farm that killed 147 sheep, including the ones that had participated in the past three years of Running of the Wools. But Ross Manko’s mother, Amy, has worked tirelessly with others to slowly rebuild the flock over the last three months and now has 65 sheep living in other barns on the farm as they work to rebuild. Amy Ross Manko will be bringing some of those new sheep with her to Washington for the heat races, which begin at 1 p.m.
“Those are really big shoes to fill. Everyone is doing this for the love of Drew,” she said, adding that she won’t be wearing makeup and will probably be hiding her eyes behind sunglasses Saturday. “I expect I’ll be crying the entire time. In between bawling fits I’ll probably be laughing my (butt) off hearing Drew stories. … Hugs are free and I’m coming for the hugs.”
After the devastating fire, Ross Manko said she would “beg, borrow and steal” to ensure her farm’s sheep would be at the starting line for Running of the Wools this year. With the help of friend Melinda Wamsley, who runs Boss Mare Shearing and had been caring for the animals to help following Drew’s death, they have slowly rebuilt the flock with people donating sheep or selling them at a reduced price. Ross Manko said a couple of the heritage breed sheep that were raised on the farm and given to young farmers last year through the youth conservation program were returned by the families who received them in order to help Ross Manko maintain the original bloodline.
“(Drew) is missed greatly and we want to honor him,” Kilgore said. “But also the perseverance Amy and Melinda and Ross Farms have shown continuing to work. They’re not going to let what he did to work go away. They were adamant for it not to go away.”
The Running of the Wools, which had coincided with the Kentucky Derby since its inception in 2023, was moved back a week this year since it had also been the same weekend as the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival near Baltimore. That means more vendors and experts will be around this year, with demonstrations on cooking, spinning, weaving and sheep shearing happening every 15 to 20 minutes at the Main Street Pavilion near the starting line.
“We’re trying to really expand it into a sheep and fiber festival to really lean into the history and heritage and importance of the agricultural heritage of Washington County,” Kilgore said. “The sheep races are fun, and that’s the draw, but we want to use that platform to also reach people about the importance of the sheep and fiber industry. It played such a big role in our past and continues to do so today.”
The event is promoted by the Washington County Tourism Agency in conjunction with the historical society. New this year, the National Road Heritage Corridor is “joining the flock” as a co-organizer, which Executive Director Sarah Collier said is a great way for people to learn the agricultural and economic history of the region.
“Originally, it was kinda just a silly sheep race. But with the historical society involved, it becomes such a great celebration of Washington County’s history,” Collier said. “We were really honored to be able to step in this year. Really, one of the main reasons the road was built was to help move agricultural products of farmers from the western part of the country to the eastern seaboard.”
While Washington & Jefferson College’s commencement is also scheduled for Saturday, Kilgore doesn’t think it will cause much of a problem with logistics or parking. Instead, he’s inviting the soon-to-be grads and their families over to the festival as an exclamation point on commencement.
“There’s a chance for them to flock over to Main Street,” Kilgore said with a laugh.
More information on this year’s Running of the Wools can be found online at www.therunningofthewools.com.