Meet the Oregon Sheep Ranching Operation Behind Team USA's Olympic Uniforms

Oregon Wool on the World Stage

Prized for its softness, temperature regulation, odor resistance, and moisture-wicking capabilities, merino wool is considered among the finest of the fine for natural fibers. When Ralph Lauren started looking for the best merino raised on American soil, they turned to Jeanne Carver, the founder and president of Shaniko Wool Company.

Carver knows wool. For over 30 years, she, along with her late husband Dan, was one of the owners of the Imperial Stock Ranch, a historic property in central Oregon. Founded in 1871, it’s one of the last remaining vestiges of the region’s former sheepfarming glory; the nearby ghost town of Shaniko was once called the Wool Capital of the World. Committed to keeping the area’s sheepfarming heritage alive while upholding values of responsible land stewardship, animal husbandry, and sustainable operations, in 1999, the couple started selling their wool to textile companies that aligned with their values of ethical production and transparency. Ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Ralph Lauren came calling, thus starting a close-knit, decade-long partnership.

“It’s really an honor. It’s humbling and exhilarating,” says Carver of having her company’s wool featured at the Olympics. “It shines a light on raising sheep and harvesting fiber. This is timeless work. It’s a way of life.”

Carver has provided wool for the Team USA uniforms for the last three Winter Olympics: the 2014 games, the 2018 PyeongChang games, and the 2022 Beijing games. For the 2014 and 2018 games, the wool came from Imperial Stock Ranch. Then, in 2017, the Imperial Stock Ranch became the first in the world to be certified under the Textile Exchange’s Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) for its practices. Seeing the demand and need for scale, Carver founded the Shaniko Wool Company in 2018 to expand the mission. In 2022, for Beijing, Carver’s partnership with Ralph Lauren continued under the Shaniko Wool Company name.

And it isn’t just for the Winter Olympics; Ralph Lauren worked with the brand for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, bringing American wool to the world’s fashion capital.

“Ralph Lauren is known for craftsmanship and quality, and that aligns with our work as stewards of the land,” says Carver. As a smaller American company, she loves seeing a major brand champion American-grown wool and support Shaniko’s environmental practices.

“They named us as a partner and it elevates our daily work,” she says, adding that she works closely with RL’s sustainability team. “It’s the people inside every brand that bring it to life…wonderful people who believe in the work they’re doing.”

Today, Shaniko Wool Company comprises 10 family ranches across the western United States, producing roughly 600,000 pounds of wool per year from around 58,000 head of sheep. It’s also the leading source of RWS-certified American merino, all produced while aligning with the highest standards in animal welfare, land health and protection, and supply chain transparency. From supporting ecosystem restoration work in central Oregon to partnering with Oregon State University on a multi-year study to measure environmental impact, sustainability remains a foundational focus.

“We need to see natural resources win,” says Carver. “With intentional management, we can make a difference.”

Merino Wool Takes Gold in Italy

For the upcoming 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, items made from Shaniko wool will make up the lion’s share of pieces in the Opening Ceremony uniform. Team USA athletes will be sporting white winter twill toggle coats, knit turtleneck sweaters, trousers, earflap hats, and mittens made entirely from Shaniko wool. For the Closing Ceremony, Shaniko also provided wool for the team sweaters and beanies.

“It connects us with our sports heroes,” says Carver.

While each athlete has different needs for their competition outfits, using merino wool for the symbolic national uniforms is a natural choice. Not only does it keep the athletes warm, sweat- and odor-free, and comfortable in whatever wintry locale they’re competing in, but it's also a nod to merino’s popularity as a material in outdoor apparel. At a competition celebrating human achievement, prowess, and performance in the world of sports, a peak fiber also gets a shout-out.

“Wool is a miracle fiber," says Carver. "There’s nothing like it."

You can spot Shaniko Wool Company’s woolen wear during the Milano Cortina Games Opening Ceremony on 6 February 2026, and in the Closing Ceremony on 22 February 2026, and during the Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies on 6 March and 15 March.

You can also purchase pieces from the Team USA Collection, including items from the Opening and Closing Ceremonies uniforms, on the Ralph Lauren website.