President’s Message

by Gray N. Thornton

President & CEO

IT’S SHEEP SHOW® SEASON!

hat a joy to be planning our annual convention without W thinking about “virtual,” masks, and all other things covid that have made our lives a challenge the past couple of years! We are running full bore for what is shaping up to be the largest and most well-attended Sheep Show® in our history! Registrations are up over our 2020 record event, booths are way up and we’ll fill all three exhibit halls, sponsors are way up, and auction donations for both Live and Silent Auctions are off the charts! The pentup demand after two years of full and semi-pandemic are demonstrative in the enthusiasm the WSF family is showing to get back to business and back to Sheep Week® in all of our convention metrics. We are excited for the show and ready for all of you to come for the sheep and stay for the party January 11-14 in Reno!

Here is a quick snapshot of the show:

WEDNESDAY

• Day 2 of Exhibitor Move In • Test & Remove Workshop 2.0 • Grand Opening Banquet Kick-off with Jimmy Herman

THURSDAY

• Full Welcome Breakfast for exhibitors in Mt. Rose Ballroom • Sporting Clays Shoot • FREE Ram/FNAWS/International Awards Luncheon in Mt. Rose Ballroom. Huskemaw scope and High West Outfitters aoudad hunt give away—must be present to win! • $1,000 (x5) Floor Credit Drawing • ETFOWS Reception • Conservation Night Banquet & Auction with special Working Dogs for Conservation demonstration • Horse Packing Competition

FRIDAY

• Ladies luncheon • $2,500 (x2) Floor Credit Drawing • <1 Club & <1iClub Beer Reception and Seven Hunt Giveaway! Three Dall’s sheep from Alaska Outfitters Unlimited, North Curl Outfitters & Ultima Thule Outfitters, plus one desert bighorn sheep with Sierra El Álamo! The <1iClub drawing include three chamois with Caprinae Safaris - Carpathian Chamois, Herederos Hunting Co. – Cantabrian Chamois and ATP Hunts – Pyrenean Chamois. • Conklin Award Presentation and our Legacy Night Banquet &

Auction • Backpack Races

SATURDAY

• Life Member Breakfast and

La Palmosa Desert Bighorn

Sheep Drawing—must be present to win • Sheep Hunters of the World

Luncheon • $5,000 Floor Credit Drawing • Sheep Show Raffle Drawings • Marco Polo Society Reception and Wine Tasting with Cervantes

Family Winery • Grand Finale Banquet & Auction • After Hours with Tessy Lou

Williams

Our day events include our world class exhibitors, Silent Auction, the Sheep Show® Raffle, daily podcasts, Floor credit drawings Thursday through Saturday for $1,000, $2,500 and $5,000, and free seminars featuring optics, USFWS permitting, backpack hunting for sheep, fitness, western big game, Women Hunt® , nutrition and wild game preparation and cooking demonstrations daily from Executive Chef Joshua Schwencke in our Culinary Corner!

The full agenda is available on our Sheep Show® App and will be in our attendee booklet. The schedule to date is also on pages 132-134 in this issue.

We will be sending out video messages in the final months before the show to share updates and a few surprises in store for Sheep Show® 2023.

Have a great holiday season. I look forward to see you all in Reno! WS

Gray N. Thornton

President & CEO, Wild Sheep Foundation

Editor-in-Chief, Wild Sheep® magazine

Summit Life Member Chadwick Ram Society® Member Legacy Society Member