Without a doubt the sheepdog herding demonstrations are one of the most popular and educational parts of the Festival. Nancy Cox Starkey, of Mt. Airy, MD, has been breeding and training working Border Collies for decades, and has been part of the Festival team providing those demos for some 30 years or so.

A long-time educator, Nancy has trained people and dogs alike to master the skills necessary to manage sheep in the service of shepherds as has been done for centuries. She has served as the voice of the herding demonstrations, expertly helping onlookers observe and understand the remarkable dynamics of communication between shepherd, dogs, and sheep. She has teamed up with other experienced dog handlers over the years and has encouraged and mentored others along the way who have partnered with her to provide this always popular offering at the Festival.

Nancy is a beloved member of the Maryland sheep and shepherding community. She has been a long-time member of the Maryland Sheep Breeders Association (MSBA), including serving on its Board of Directors, and was recently honored by the MSBA as Shepherd of the Year for 2025. We are forever grateful for her tireless support ensuring that we can offer live herding demonstrations with experienced and knowledgeable dogs and their handlers.

Be sure to attend one (or more) of the herding dog demos this year, say hi, and thank Nancy for her steadfast commitment to this wonderful shepherding tradition – you will experience first-hand the friendly twinkle in her eye that reveals her true love of working border collies and sheep.

We are remembering Liz Cavey who passed away in 2025. For nearly fifty years Liz was a steadfast member of the sheep and wool and fiber arts community here in Maryland, beginning in 1976 with three children participating in 4-H with their beloved Montadale sheep. She co-founded the Maryland Montadale Association and fully embraced the breed’s dual-purpose potential, promoting lamb at food booths and taking their wool from fleece to finished products. She was a gifted, dyer, spinner, and knitter, and a vendor at Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival as well as numerous other festivals.

An active member of Maryland Sheep Breeders Board of Directors, Liz assisted with wool classing and handling at the Maryland Wool Pool and the Maryland Shearing School. Always supportive of youth and education, she chaired the MSBA Scholarship Committee for several years. She and her husband Gary were named MSBA Shepherds of the Year in 2016. Hers was always a voice of reason, encouragement and “can-do” drive. We are already and will continue to miss Liz’s ready smile and her willingness to share her experience, wisdom and enjoyment of sheep and wool.