Sheep shearing competitions are for the fleet of foot.
Clad in greasy trousers and moccasins, the shearers grab struggling lambs and hold them down on a floor slick with lanolin to flawlessly re-move their coats fleece in about 70 seconds.
That kind of action encouraged Fred Stewart to enter his first contest with six weeks of experience shearing 53 sheep.
The North American sheep shearing competition at the July 4-13 Calgary Stampede attracted entrants from around the world. Stewart decided it was a good opportunity to learn from the best.
Read Also
Alberta cattle loan guarantee program gets 50 per cent increase
Alberta government comes to aid of beef industry with 50 per cent increase to loan guarantee program to help producers.
“As soon as I heard about this I came here to rub elbows with the pros,” he said. He packed his tools in a shoebox and made the 14 hour trip to enter the contest as well as find time to take in his first rodeo.
A roofer from Smithers, B.C., he took a shearing course in Alberta and was ready to go to work this year. Admittedly, there are few sheep in his area, but he is willing to learn the trade and if one of the locals need a shearer, he takes a day off work to get the job done.
Originally from Prince Edward Island, he left home 21 years ago and headed west in search of work.
He was attracted to shearing be-cause it was a skill that might take him to Australia and New Zealand where he could work on thousands of animals in a year.
“A long time ago a guy told me it is a good way to travel and make money,” he said.
The world record for shearing a sheep is 18 seconds. Stewart said his very first sheep took an hour to clip but now he can manage to finish the job in five minutes.
Stewart entered the intermediate class for beginners. He had to shear six sheep and afterward judges and other shearers examined his work and offered pointers.
it is a timed event where one point is awarded for each 20 seconds at work, and additional points are added for leaving behind bits of wool or nicks in the skin. The person with the lowest score wins.
Australian Steve Mudford won the grand champion at the North American Sheep Shearing Challenge.
Hilary Gretzen of Minot, North Dakota won reserve. Stewart won a special sportsmanship award.
