Black Hills Event To Showcase Sheep Shearing

A Sunday event at the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo is showcasing the working practice of sheep shearing.

This year's National Sheep Shearing Competition will feature 250 to 300 sheep from South Dakota.

Sheep shearing competitor Loren Opstedahl says not all sheep are created equal. He says one might have wrinkly skin and one might be aggressive, but he has to be prepared to shear them all.

New to the competition will be a wool handling component, along with machine shearing and blade shearing.

Leann Brimmer says her family has raised sheep for more than 100 years, and her dad used to shear. She got into competitive shearing several years ago.

The free event at the Crystalyx BioBarrel Sale Ring in Rushmore Hall runs from noon to 4 p.m.