2025 Wool Market Sheep Show

[Dana Ruehlman]

Dear Mayor Hall, Town Administrator Machalek, and the Trustees of Estes Park,

We, the superintendent and exhibitors of the Estes Park Wool Market sheep show, do hereby inform you that due to the unprofessional and demeaning treatment by the Estes Park Fairgrounds and Events Center administration and staff we are boycotting the 2025 sheep show and all future shows. It is with deep sadness that we feel we have to do this to honor the legacy of a sheep show that once had an outstanding national reputation. The current events center administration and staff have refused to acknowledge our concerns, refused to have an open discussion on proposed changes that affect the health of our animals and have openly treated us with condescension and lack of respect. 

Since Rob Hinkle was hired the Wool Market has shown a marked decline in both quality of the show overall and in the numbers of animals and vendors participating. The alpaca show first boycotted, then quit and relocated due to conflict with Rob. The Sheep herding demo has also been forever lost. The sheep shearer also boycotted for one year due to direct conflict with the staff. Entries to the llama and goat shows are less than half of what they used to be. The only stable animal events are the sheep show and the fleece and fiber show. With the boycott of the predicted 150 sheep the pavilion will be nearly empty. The Angora goat show will have only one exhibitor because the other recent exhibitors are also sheep exhibitors. As the sheep show provides the animals used in the shearing demo this will also be cancelled. We feel Mr. Hinkle’s attitude and actions are detrimental to the future of the Wool Market and the Estes Park Events Center.

In the email reply to the original exhibitor letter addressing our concerns (sent April 1: see both below) Ms Gruhl demonstrates the Wool Markets lack of respect for the sheep exhibitors. We find her email to be unprofessional and insulting. Her tone is condescending and treats respected professionals in the fiber industry like children. This level of disrespect and condescension is not limited to her or just this email. 

Ms Gruhl has no background or training in agriculture, animal sciences or veterinary science. Yet she presumes to lecture sheep breeders and exhibitors, many of whom have been in the industry longer than she has been alive, on animal health requirements. Everything she states in her email is incorrect. She clearly copied from a source on the internet and did not verify that it applied to sheep in Colorado. As Dr. Ruehlman can attest, as a USDA accredited Cat 2 veterinarian (this means she can perform heath examinations on all species of animals and write CVIs), the only official requirements for moving sheep intrastate for exhibition are official identification. Movement into Colorado requires a CVI with a B. Ovis blood test for rams older than 6 months and an import permit. State requirements for vaccinations and parasite treatment do not exist for small ruminants. Cattle and horses require proof of vaccination for a CVI. There are no required vaccinations for sheep. (ag.colorado.gov)

A CVI is not a guarantee of health. It does not magically confer health on an animal for the 30 days that it is valid. It is a statement that on a certain date the animal(s) were examined by a accredited veterinarian and found to be free of OBVIOUS signs of infection or disease. They may still be infected and later show signs due to the stress of transport and exhibition. The CVI is a key tool to track cases of disease outbreaks. It does not prevent infected animals from entering a show. As all our exhibitors are aware the NWSS requires a CVI but does not have a on site health check and that event is known to have problems with infectious animal disease spread. For over a decade Dr Ruehlman has performed a full health check on each sheep that entered the barn. Since using this method of biosecurity, in place of a CVI, NO cases of infectious diseases have been present in the sheep barn. We have been falsely accused on several occasions, by persons with no veterinary training or credentials, to have had such diseases (specifically “sore mouth” aka Orf) in our barn. These accusations are malicious and done to harass and discredit our show. However Mr. Hinkle  and Ms. Gruhl choose to believe these disreputable individuals over a licensed veterinarian.

We find Mr Hinkle and Ms Gruhl’s ignorance and condescension to be very offensive and unprofessional. Their actions are detrimental to the mission of the wool market as stated: “The mission of the Estes Park Wool Market is to bring together natural animal fiber producers, educators, retailers, and consumers for the benefit of the industry.” Treating the animal exhibitors of a show at the Wool Market with disrespect and condescension and the spreading of false animal health information is reprehensible and does NOT “benefit the industry.”. 

As change is the one constant in life, sometime in the future  when the current events center/wool market administration and staff are replaced we are willing to open a dialog in regards to re-establishing the sheep show. All of us have committed many years/decades to promoting and participating in the Wool Market in general and the sheep show specifically. We find it deeply painful that it has come to this end. However to honor the original mission of the show and the original founders of the Wool Market we feel ethically bound to boycott. As we were scheduled to have a specialty breed show in 2025 and a national handspinning sheep show in 2026 these associations have been informed of the current situation and will pursue venues elsewhere.

Thank you for your time,

The Estes Park Wool Market Sheep Show Exhibitors and Superintendent,

Dr. Dana Ruehlman, Superintendant, 1991 to present

Patricia Burch

Jill Koenig

Kathryn and Darrin  Morkunas

Janet and Josh Cowdrey

Karen and Larry King

Amy Marrs and The Urban Farm exhibitors

Reply from Events center and Wool Market coordinator:

From: Becky Gruhl <bgr...@estes.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 1:52:19 PM
To: patricia burch <PBur...@hotmail.com>
Cc: rhi...@estes.org <rhi...@estes.org>; gh...@estes.org <gh...@estes.org>; tmac...@estes.org <tmac...@estes.org>
Subject: Re: Changes to health requirements

 

Dear Patricia Burch, Jill Koenig, Eric Wellman, Amy Marrs, Janet Cowdery, and Kathryn Morkunas,

Thank you for your email and for sharing your concerns regarding the health protocols for the Estes Park Event Center and Fairgrounds. We appreciate the dedication of the Colorado Sheep Producers and your ongoing efforts to uphold the high standards of animal care at the event.

We want to clarify that after careful consideration, our team has already made the decision to implement the new animal health standards starting for the Wool Market in 2026. This decision was finalized in our discussions, and Dana Ruehlman, as the sheep show superintendent, was notified of this update last week.

The new health standards are being put in place to ensure that all animals attending shows at the Estes Park Fairgrounds are properly protected. It is customary and often required for show animals, including sheep, to meet specific health standards prior to participating in shows. These health requirements typically include vaccinations, parasite treatments, and general health checks to ensure that animals are free from contagious diseases. Such measures are critical to protecting the health of all animals who come to the fairgrounds and ensuring a fair and safe environment for all participants.

We recognize and respect Dana’s significant contributions to the Wool Market over the years, and we value her expertise in maintaining biosecurity standards. However, we are confident that the updated protocols, starting in 2026, will continue to ensure the health and safety of the animals, as well as the success of the event moving forward.

We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we implement these necessary changes.

Respectfully,

Becky Gruhl

Special Events Coordinator

Town of Estes Park

Events & Visitor Services

Office: 970.577.3902

Cell: 563-343-8395

1125 Rooftop Way

Estes Park, CO 80517

Letter sent April 1, 2025

To Rob Hinkle, Becky Gruhl, Mayor Hall and town administrator Tom Machalek

Subject: Changes to health requirements

Dear Estes Market Wool Market Administrators and Town of Estes Park,

On behalf of the Colorado sheep exhibitors of the Estes Park Wool Market, we want to thank you for the continuation of this great event that highlights and celebrates the natural fiber arts that have a strong and rich history here in the Rocky Mountains.  Roy Dow, one of the original organizers of the Wool Market, was a long time superintendent of the sheep show at Estes Park. We view the continuation of the show as a great way to honor the Dow family and their contributions to the Natural Colored and handspinning sheep industry.

It recently came to our attention that some of the animal health related changes to be implemented at this year's Estes Park Wool Market, specifically the changes in requirements for CVI aka  health certificates and how animals are going to be checked into the barn are not up to the expected standards of the sheep exhibitors. Dr. Dana Ruehlman, the sheep show superintendent, has done a fantastic, meticulous job of upholding the strongest biosecurity standards for all livestock, producers and most importantly the general public. In all the years she has performed health checks on the sheep there have been NO cases of infectious disease in the sheep barn. Many of our exhibitors attend many other state and national shows and have been truly impressed with the thorough evaluation Dr. Ruehlman gives to each individual animal as it leaves the trailer and before it enters the barn. This level of veterinary care is unheard of even at the National Western Stock Show. Her service to the event has been a labor of love and out of a passion for the well being of the sheep.  As a sheep producer herself coupled with being a licensed and accredited veterinarian, she brings her own experience to identify ovine health concerns. A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) is a document which says a Veterinarian has evaluated an animal on a set day. It is not a guarantee that the animals will not contract or start to exhibit symptoms at any point during the 30 days post evaluation. As the demands in the veterinary world have transitioned, it becomes harder and harder to find a veterinarian with the true emphasis on small ruminants and one familiar with sheep specific ailments such as Dr. Ruehlman. To this end we do not want any other person or entity ( including the CSU veterinary teaching hospital personnel)  to perform the health checks or collect a CVI when the animals arrive. We feel this would adversely impact the health and safety of our animals. 

As producers and exhibitors, we want to be sure that our superintendent is respected by the administrators of the Estes Park Wool Market. This event is a vital experience for our exhibitors and we have a current effective system that we know keeps our sheep, and our fellow exhibitors safe from introducing pathogens to our flocks. We do not want changes to the current health procedures upon check in since we as  producers know the suggested changes are less effective in maintaining herd health.  As many of the small ruminant diseases are also transmissible to humans it is critical that we keep these pathogens out of the animal barn. To this end we respectfully request that only Dr. Ruehlman performs the health checks on the sheep entered in the Estes Park Wool Market Sheep shows. 

Respectively,

The Colorado Sheep Producers of the Estes Park Wool Market

Patricia Burch

Jill Koenig

Eric Wellman

Amy Marrs

Janet Cowdery

Kathryn Morkunas

Karen King

[Gary Hall]

I'm very disappointed to read this note. I'll be seeking some information to understand context and futures. Take care. 

Gary M. Hall

Mayor of the Town of Estes Park

Office phone: 970-577-3706

Email: gh...@estes.org

[Dana Ruehlman]

Thank you for your response. If you require any additional information please don’t hesitate to ask.

Regards

Dr. Dana Ruehlman 

On Apr 3, 2025, at 9:53 AM, Gary Hall <gh...@estes.org> wrote:



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[Dana Ruehlman]

Dear Mayor Hall,

Could you please give us an update in regards to our letter of last week informing you of the pending wool market sheep show boycott? We remain hopeful you can mediate a resolution to our concerns. However I have several exhibitors that have hotel reservations in Estes that they need to cancel if we are unable to come to an understanding and move forward with the show. If a final decision or at least substantial progress can be made in the next few days we would greatly appreciate it.

Regards

Dr Dana Ruehlman

On Apr 3, 2025, at 9:53 AM, Gary Hall <gh...@estes.org> wrote:

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[Gary Hall]

Dr. Ruehlman, thanks for the note. I was personally disappointed, but I do try to not interfere in operations from my policy-management position. Mediation between event participants and contractors is something I step away from entirely. I prefer to let operations folks take care of operations. All that said, I did discuss with town staff and I won't take further action. Town Administrator Machalek is welcome to add any commentary, but in this case, despite my personal disappointment at the loss of that significant part of the program, I won't be acting further on it. Take care. 

Gary M. Hall

Mayor of the Town of Estes Park

Office phone: 970-577-3706

Email: gh...@estes.org