As the eighth red-headed slut slid down my throat, I
began to wonder what I had gotten myself into. I was merely trying
to keep up with my new friends, a group of traveling sheepshearers
from New Zealand. But they kept buying round after round at the
Sawmill Saloon in Darby, Mont.

“Shearing’s a
hobby,” Hamish “Sam” Bramley joked in his lilting accent. “I drink
for a job.” He was good at his job.

The gregarious
shearers earn good wages and have a sailor’s fondness for a
night on the town, but their reality is one of day after day of
backbreaking work, grueling hours and thousands of miles spent
traveling empty highways in the West.

Matt Smith and his
nomadic Kiwi crew from Shear Pleasure — consisting of six
shearers and three wool handlers — travel to large sheep
ranches around Montana and the Rocky Mountain West, shearing heaps
of sheep each week. On a good clip they can trim 1,100 sheep a day.

Underneath the brawn and booze is a band of disciplined
Kiwis with a talent for shearing and a desire to see the world.

“I think traveling while you’re working is one of
the best ways to see a country, you know,” said Smith. “Not only
are you earning good money, but you’re actually meeting the
people of the country, getting to know the farmers, the people that
have nothing to do with the tourist industry. This way you get to
see the real side.”

Last spring, the nine-person team
from Brent Flowers’ Shear Pleasure shearing company made the
rounds through Montana. Photographer Jeremy Lurgio documented them
at work and at play. Here, slightly out of season,
HCN brings you Lurgio’s images of sheep
and shearers as a special holiday treat.

Close window X

Republish this article

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Our articles are available for republishing, but images are only available on a case-by-case basis. You can’t republish photographs or illustrations without written permission from High Country News and/or the photographer. Please reach out to syndication@hcn.org to request illustrations and photography for specific stories. Republishing guidelines

• Credit the author and High Country News - We prefer Author Name, High Country News at the byline.  At the top of the story, if on the web, please include this text and link: “This story was originally published by High Country News.”
• Check the image requirements - Images that are clearly marked CC or from federal agencies are in the creative commons and are available for republishing. Outside of this, you can’t republish photographs or illustrations without written permission from High Country News and/or the photographer. Please reach out to syndication@hcn.org to request more information.
• Don’t change anything significant - Articles must be republished in their entirety. Revisions for house style or references to time (“yesterday” to “today”) are allowed. If larger revisions are necessary, including significant trims or an editor’s note, contact us at syndication@hcn.org to get approval for the change ahead of republishing.
• Share on social media - When sharing on social tag High Country News in your post and note the story is from @highcountrynews
  • Twitter: @highcountrynews 
  • Instagram: @highcountrynews
  • TikTok: @highcountrynews
  • Facebook: @highcountrynews
  • LinkedIn: High Country News
• Stay in touch - Let us know you republished the story. Send a link to syndication@hcn.org once you’ve republished the story and let us know how it’s resonating with your readers.

Shear Pleasure

by Jeremy Lurgio, High Country News
December 25, 2006

<h1>Shear Pleasure</h1> <p class="byline">by Jeremy Lurgio, High Country News <br />December 25, 2006</p> <div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter" data-effect="slide"> <div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container"> <ul class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper"> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure> <img alt="https://country-survey-collabs.info/external_files/allimages/2006/dec25/graphics/061225-008.jpg" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-35654" data-id="35654" src="https://country-survey-collabs.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/061225-008.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">https://country-survey-collabs.info/external_files/allimages/2006/dec25/graphics/061225-008.jpg%3C/figcaption%3E%3C/figure%3E </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure> <img alt="https://country-survey-collabs.info/external_files/allimages/2006/dec25/graphics/061225-009.jpg" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-35655" data-id="35655" src="https://country-survey-collabs.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/061225-009.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">https://country-survey-collabs.info/external_files/allimages/2006/dec25/graphics/061225-009.jpg%3C/figcaption%3E%3C/figure%3E </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure> <img alt="https://country-survey-collabs.info/external_files/allimages/2006/dec25/graphics/061225-010.jpg" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-35658" data-id="35658" src="https://country-survey-collabs.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/061225-010.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">https://country-survey-collabs.info/external_files/allimages/2006/dec25/graphics/061225-010.jpg%3C/figcaption%3E%3C/figure%3E </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure> <img alt="https://country-survey-collabs.info/external_files/allimages/2006/dec25/graphics/061225-011.jpg" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-35660" data-id="35660" src="https://country-survey-collabs.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/061225-011.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">https://country-survey-collabs.info/external_files/allimages/2006/dec25/graphics/061225-011.jpg%3C/figcaption%3E%3C/figure%3E </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure> <img alt="https://country-survey-collabs.info/external_files/allimages/2006/dec25/graphics/061225-012.jpg" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-35662" data-id="35662" src="https://country-survey-collabs.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/061225-012.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">https://country-survey-collabs.info/external_files/allimages/2006/dec25/graphics/061225-012.jpg%3C/figcaption%3E%3C/figure%3E </li> <li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"> <figure> <img alt="https://country-survey-collabs.info/external_files/allimages/2006/dec25/graphics/061225-013.jpg" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-35663" data-id="35663" src="https://country-survey-collabs.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/061225-013.jpg" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">https://country-survey-collabs.info/external_files/allimages/2006/dec25/graphics/061225-013.jpg%3C/figcaption%3E%3C/figure%3E </li> </ul> <p> <a class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white" role="button"></a><br /> <a class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white" role="button"></a><br /> <a aria-label="Pause Slideshow" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause" role="button"></a></p> <div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white"></div> </p></div> </p></div> <p>As the eighth red-headed slut slid down my throat, I<br /> began to wonder what I had gotten myself into. I was merely trying<br /> to keep up with my new friends, a group of traveling sheepshearers<br /> from New Zealand. But they kept buying round after round at the<br /> Sawmill Saloon in Darby, Mont.</p> <p>"Shearing’s a<br /> hobby," Hamish "Sam" Bramley joked in his lilting accent. "I drink<br /> for a job." He was good at his job.</p> <p>The gregarious<br /> shearers earn good wages and have a sailor’s fondness for a<br /> night on the town, but their reality is one of day after day of<br /> backbreaking work, grueling hours and thousands of miles spent<br /> traveling empty highways in the West.</p> <p>Matt Smith and his<br /> nomadic Kiwi crew from Shear Pleasure — consisting of six<br /> shearers and three wool handlers — travel to large sheep<br /> ranches around Montana and the Rocky Mountain West, shearing heaps<br /> of sheep each week. On a good clip they can trim 1,100 sheep a day.</p> <p>Underneath the brawn and booze is a band of disciplined<br /> Kiwis with a talent for shearing and a desire to see the world.</p> <p>"I think traveling while you’re working is one of<br /> the best ways to see a country, you know," said Smith. "Not only<br /> are you earning good money, but you’re actually meeting the<br /> people of the country, getting to know the farmers, the people that<br /> have nothing to do with the tourist industry. This way you get to<br /> see the real side."</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Last spring, the nine-person team<br /> from Brent Flowers’ Shear Pleasure shearing company made the<br /> rounds through Montana. Photographer Jeremy Lurgio documented them<br /> at work and at play. Here, slightly out of season,<br /> </em>HCN<em> brings you Lurgio’s images of sheep<br /> and shearers as a special holiday treat.<br /> </em></p> <div class="wp-block-group hcn-print-edition-box"> <p>This article appeared in the <a href="/?p=189102">print edition of the magazine</a> with the headline <span class="hcn-magtitle">Shear Pleasure</span>.</p> </p></div> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://country-survey-collabs.info/issues/issue-337/shear-pleasure/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://country-survey-collabs.info Country News&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/www.hcn.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/cropped-HCN_Logo-Monogram_White_Sq-2.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;quality=100&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;&lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://country-survey-collabs.info/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=112630&amp;amp;ga4=G-0NS3WVPPTN&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://country-survey-collabs.info/issues/issue-337/shear-pleasure/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/hcn.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;</p> Copy to Clipboard

1