Sheep Shearing

State Fair Sheep Shearers Are “A Cut Above”

The top sheep shearers from across the Midwest and Canada put their blade bravado to the test in the Sheep Shearing competition, judged Saturday, August 10, at the 2024 Iowa State Fair.

Complete results below:

Golden Age Division

Shearing

1) Loren Opstedahl, Union Center, SD

2) Dave Abel, Royal

3) Douglas Rathke, Hutchinson, MN

4) Rocky Anderson, Griswold

5) Gary Lumley, Hampton

6) Quentin Ackerman, Sac City

Best Pen

1) Dave Abel, Royal

2) Loren Opstedahl, Union Center, SD

3) Douglas Rathke, Hutchinson, MN

Fastest Time

1) Douglas Rathke, Hutchinson, MN

2) Loren Opstedahl, Union Center, SD

3) Dave Abel, Royal

Senior Division

Shearing

1) Alex Moser, Larchwood

2) Nolan Abel, Linn Grove

3) Pauline Bolay, Fairford, Manitoba, Canada

4) Timothy Wright, Byron Center, MI

5) Loren Opstedahl, Union Center, SD

6) Quentin Ackerman, Sac City

7) Douglas Rathke, Hutchinson, MN

8) Amber Petersen, New Brunswick, Canada

9) Dave Abel, Royal

10) Gary Lumley, Hampton

Best Pen

1) Loren Opstedahl, Union Center, SD

2) Nolan Abel, Linn Grove

3) Timothy Wright, Byron Center, MI

Fastest Time

1) Alex Moser, Larchwood

2) Nolan Abel, Linn Grove

3) Quentin Ackerman, Sac City

Amateur Division

Shearing

1) Mark Burenheide, Howells, NE

2) Walter Wright, Hart, MI

3) Tayler Opstedahl, Union Center, SD

4) Clay Vanwyk, Monroe

Best Pen

1) Mark Burenheide, Howells, NE

2) Walter Wright, Hart, MI

3) Tayler Opstedahl, Union Center, SD

Fastest Time

1) Tadlee Opstedahl, Union Center, SD

2) Tayler Opstedahl, Union Center, SD

3) Mark Burenheide, Howells, NE

Blade Shearing Division

1) Douglas Rathke, Hutchinson, MN

2) Loren Opstedahl, Union Center, SD

3) Tadlee Opstedahl, Union Center, SD

4) Pauline Bolay, Fairford, Manitoba, Canada

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The Iowa State Fair is one of the oldest and largest agricultural and industrial expositions in the country and the single largest event in the state. The Fair began 170 years ago and is now considered one of the best events in the nation, attracting more than one million Fairgoers every year from all over the world. The Fairgrounds are located at East 30th and East University, just off the interstate and minutes from Downtown Des Moines. Catch Fair Fever at the Iowa State Fair, August 8-18, 2024. For more information, visit www.iowastatefair.org.