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Shearing through the eyes of students

10 May
Kiwi shearer

Japanese and Kiwi shearers

This year, our shearing crew arrived late.  This meant that the ewes trailed, in the wool, to the Cottonwood lambing grounds to get shorn.  Many years, we shear them in the Badwater pasture, some 45 miles north, then trail them on to the lambing grounds north of Dixon.  This has to be done before May 1st if they are to have time to travel and be in the private, BLM and State lands when they start to lamb a week later.

Dixon is close to our community school in Baggs, and many years third-grade teacher, Miss Cobb, brings her students to watch shearing and learn about it. This year, it was easy, since the shearers were so close.  The third graders were joined by the fourth grade class and their teacher, Mrs. Herold.

Cliff Hoopes, the shearing contractor, took time to show the students around.  He even brought them, five at a time, into the shed so they could watch the shearers at work.  This year’s shearing crew included one man from Japan, which was a first.

We were starting to lamb by the time the last sheep was sheared.

Cliff tells students about his shearing crew

Cliff tells students about his shearing business

Purple (the shed) is Cliff's favorite color and pink (the chute) is his wool classer's favorite color

Cliff answers questions

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Purple (the shed) is Cliff’s favorite color and pink (the chute) is his wool classer’s favorite color

Siobhan, Meghan and Filo bring up the unshorn ewes

Siobhan, Meghan and Filo bring up the unshorn ewes

Inside the shed

Inside the shed

Hoopes Shearing wool classer

Hoopes Shearing wool classer

Pepe sorting at the chute

Pepe sorting at the chute

Cliff explaining wool classing

Cliff explaining wool classing

Mrs. Herold leads students into the shed

Mrs. Herold leads students into the purple shed

sheep bells

sheep bells

Cliff and Landon inside the shed

Cliff and Landon inside the shed

shearing tools

shearing tools

freshly shorn ewes

freshly shorn ewes

 

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One response to “Shearing through the eyes of students

  1. Meg Glaser

    July 4, 2013 at 11:26 AM

    Nice story! Thank you. Love the colorful equipment and clothing.

     

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