Black Hills Stock Show Sheep Shearing Contest

Black Hills Stock Show Sheep Shearing Contest

Thirty-five sheep shearers from across the US and Canada vied in active competition for award points, cash and new equipment at the Black Hills Stock Show annual Sheep Shearing Contest in Rapid City, S.D. on February 6, 2014.

The American Sheep Shearing Council also held its annual meeting and dinner prior to the event. At this contest, winners accumulate points toward being selected as the U.S. representatives in the international contest for 2016. Placings in the contest are determined by a combination of time used shearing, shearing board scores and pen scores on the sheared sheep.

In the Hand Blade Shearing Division, the winners included: Loren Opstedahl (1st); Emily Chamelin (2nd) and Kristen Rosser (3rd).

In the Machine Shearing contest-Learner’s Division, winners included Dustin Hodenshield, (1st); Samuel Hansen (2nd); Kristen Rosser (3rd) and Paul Astin (4th).

In the Intermediate Division contest, finishers were Jayson Foley (1st); Levi McTaggart (2nd); Brian Troendle (3rd) and Rindy Harkness (4th).

In the Professional Division, the top eight included: Alex Moser, Dave Foley, Nolan Abel, Loren Opstedahl, Mark Hoogendoorn, Tony Troendle, Mike Hagens and Kevin Hickman.

The contest also featured a Wool Handling Contest for the second year: Leann Brimmer (1st); Michelle Jensen (2nd); Emily Chamelin (3rd) and Terance Pelle (4th).

Additional Awards added this year included the “Gary Babb Award“ for the best board score in each Division. Winners were: Kristen Rosser in the Learner Division; Cory Bricker in the Intermediate Division; and Alex Moser in the Professional Division.

The “Best Shorn Pen” Awards in honor of Dion VanWell was presented to Kristen Rosser, Rindy Harkness and Kevin Hickman.

Tony Troendle won the “FastestTime Award” among all the shearers in this year’s contest.