National Columbia Show & Sale to Be Held in Spencer, Iowa

The 2023 NSS will be held at the Clay County Fairgrounds in Spencer, Iowa. Spencer is in northwest Iowa adjacent to the Okoboji Lakes area. The “Lakes” area is a popular summer vacation destination that includes the towns of Spencer, Milford, and Spirit Lake. The 2017 NSS was held at the fairgrounds in Spencer. The fairgrounds is home to the Clay County Fair held in early September which is visited by 300,000 fairgoers each year. Throughout the remainder of the year, the fairgrounds and Spencer Convention Center is a busy place with an activity scheduled nearly every week.

The 2023 NSS schedule will not change (the tentative schedule can be found on the inside back cover.) The feature “pop up,” or educational workshop on Wednesday afternoon, will be an artificial insemination workshop on Wednesday afternoon. Dr. Jim Schoelerman DVM will host the workshop. He has extensive experience in AI and will double as the NSS official veterinarian.

Rob Zelinsky will place the production, natural colored, open, and futurity comeback sheep. Rob is from Brookings, SD. Rob is the Account Manager with Hubbard Feeds. Fred Eagleson, long-time Columbia breeder from Buchanan, ND, will work the wool show.

SHEAR PRODUCTION SHEEP AFTER JANUARY 1, 2023

• Production rams and ewes need to be sheared AFTER January 1st. You, as the consignor, can decide the date but be sure it is after the first of the year.

• The NSS Committee has made a significant change to the Production show. Production sheep MAY BE SHOWN with wool on the poll and legs. The change is made to improve the marketability of the production sheep. Consignors should still focus on providing Production Data as the major focus for selling their production sheep. Body wool length may have a maximum variation of 3/8” over the entire body.