Your dollars go a long way to help support the shearing industry through educational programs, shearer development and contests. Your support is essential in helping us continue to develop ways of sharing information about upcoming schools and contests as well as work opportunities.
We aim to highlight our members accomplishments and seek to share what is going on in the USA shearing world and abroad through this website and through our Facebook page.
Benefits of becoming a member include: Voting rights at meetings as well as early access to sign up for all clinics and members-only courses run through the ASSC. Pay your yearly dues to access your membership account. Memberships are only $25 a year and non refundable but you may discontinue your membership at anytime.
Marcus Irrthum shearing in Iowa shortly after returning from Australia.
The ASSC provided me with numerous opportunites to improve my shearing skills. For example, the Blackhills Stockshow Shearing Competition helped me understand what a quality shearing job entailed. My highlight of last year was shearing in Australia all thanks to the ASSC putting on the advanced shearing school at Mosers Triple Creek Farm. It was there that I first met Mike Pora and even considered going abroad to shear. It was then the continued support and encouragement from the other ASSC members, especially the support from the current president, Katherine Moser, vice president, Nolan Abel and ASI wool council representative, Alex Moser that pushed me to actually travel abroad.
While over in Australia Mike pushed me to enter competitions which helped me to see where my skill was lacking in relation to other shearers. This made me focus on how I could improve and practice these skills in the shed. I am honored to be able to pass along what I have learned from this experience to future generations of shearers as well as current colleagues.
Nolan wearing his team U.S.A. Hooding after making the team for the world Competition.
My name is Nolan Abel, I am 37 years old. I live in Iowa, which is located in the Midwestern portion of the United States. I shear around 20,000 ewes/lambs are year mainly in Iowa and adjoining states with my father and a few other shearers. I have a beautiful wife Torie and 6 children that greet me when I get home and help take care of our 160 hd flock of ewes.
Kurtis Mooney demonstrating for students at the ND shearing school.
Kurtis has been around sheep his entire life. He grew up running around the shearing floor and first picked up a hand piece as a small boy. He is now grown and even recently married to his childhood sweet heart, Jacobie. Kurtis just started contracting his own trailer and recently came in 4th at the National Shearing Contest in Rapid City, SD.