The Running of the Sheep

In 2004, Doug Skoog visited Reed Point, Mont. (pop. 185), and was persuaded by an old friend to take part in the town's annual Great Montana Sheep Drive, better known as the Running of the Sheep.

The experience taught the Seattle resident a very important lesson when he returned for a second year. "You've got to stay in front of them or it's uncomfortable," says Skoog, 58, of the sheep. "Get behind them and it's messy."

Skoog's old friend, Russ Schlievert, 65, is one of the event founders and owner of the town's Hotel Montana. Each year, Schlievert convinces a few nervous volunteers to run in front of hundreds of sheep that are herded down Main Street in a wooly parody of Pamplona, Spain's famed Running of the Bulls.

"Our main purpose is to run way in front and tell the people to get back," Schlievert informs the runners, who are outfitted in white shirts and pants, black berets and red sashes.

Skoog still recalls his 2004 run. "I pulled into the bar because my heart had stopped," he jokes.

As the event gets under way, an announcer urges the crowd to step back and warns Schlievert not to overexert himself. "And watch for the little short guy," the announcer says of Schlievert, "to make sure he doesn't have a heart attack."

Reed Point, which lies between Interstate 90 and the Yellowstone River, has staked a claim to international fame with the lighthearted event. Always held the Sunday before Labor Day, Schlievert says the "brainy idea" was conceived in 1989 as a counterpoint to the Great Montana Centennial Cattle Drive, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of Montana's statehood.

In its first year, the Running of the Sheep attracted more than 12,000 people. Although attendance now averages around 2,500, proceeds from concession and merchandise sales raise about $5,000 for community projects. Last year, the money was used to buy two lots for a community park. In the past, the sheep drive has paid for a fire truck, refurbished the town library and supported children's educational programs.

"It's something to do to help the community out," says Tom Goddard, the event's vice president. "It's a lot of work, but it's worth it."

Allen Laubach, whose family has been in the sheep industry for four generations, supplied the 500 head of black-faced Suffolk and Columbia-Targhee sheep used in last year's drive. The sheep are transported to town by semi-trailer, unloaded and herded down Reed Point's Main Street, lined with spectators.

Laubach and other local sheep ranchers alternate providing sheep for the drive. "It's just to help the community is the main thing," he says, "and to help the sheep industry."

Sheep were once a huge contributor to the area's economy. Near the turn of the 20th century, the nearby town of Big Timber (pop. 1,650) was the largest producer of wool in the world. Although that's no longer the case, Montana still ranks sixth in the nation in sheep production and the industry contributes millions of dollars annually to the state's agricultural economy.

Of course, the event features more than the sheep drive. Booths line Reed Point's main drag selling a variety of foods and souvenirs, including bracelets, T-shirts, wind spinners and fuzzy scarves. There's also a log-sawing contest, car show, auction and dance.

But the Great Montana Sheep Drive is mostly about having fun. A green highway-like sign on the side of Schlievert's hotel says it all, proclaiming Reed Point as the "Sheep Drive Capital of the World."

Brett French is a writer in Billings, Mont.

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