Welcome to How to Montana, a monthly feature where photojournalists and writers explore one event, skill or experience that is deeply rooted in Montana. In this edition, reporter Zeke Lloyd and photographer Matt Calarco visited Reed Point to see the annual Great Montana Sheep Drive, where “sheep are in charge and at large.”
Allen Laubach, a sheep rancher west of Big Timber, has attended every Great Montana Sheep Drive since the first one, in 1989. It’s not always his sheep being driven — area ranchers trade that responsibility year to year — but this year, it was. On Sept. 6, Laubach hauled about 500 animals into downtown Reed Point, a community of about 180 people situated along I-90 between Big Timber and Columbus. At about 4 p.m., residents and visitors began herding the animals down North Division Street.
“We had a little trouble getting the sheep started to come down the street this year, but a lot of people just jumped in, got behind them and held them so they didn’t run back,” Laubach said.
Such unpredictability is to be expected, according to Laubach. The day’s itinerary, printed and distributed to attendees, notes that “sheep are in charge and at large.” A few years ago, when the animals broke through the crowd and crossed the railroad tracks north of town, Laubach and some other “old timers” set up a new corral nearby and hauled them back.
“You just never know how it’s going to go,” Laubach said.
The first Great Montana Sheep Drive was a “spoof” of the Great Montana Centennial Cattle Drive, a six-day celebration of the state’s 100th anniversary in 1989, according to Laubach. More than 2,800 cattle, along with about 3,300 horses, 200 wagons and 100 drovers, traveled 60 miles from Roundup to Billings, according to the Billings Gazette.
Stillwater County News estimates Reed Point drew 14,000 visitors to its inaugural 1989 sheep drive. The newspaper dubbed it “The #1 Centennial Event in the State.”
Laubach said not much has changed over the last 38 years. There are still competitions sprinkled throughout the day, including, this year, hay-bale rolling and log sawing. Wool shearing and spinning demonstrations are still featured events.
But as the number of sheep ranchers in the area has declined, Laubach said, so has the number of sheep-centric events. There used to be sheepdog trials and a lamb cookout.
“Sweet Grass County and Big Timber were the wool capital of the world at one time,” Laubach said.
The sheep industry’s decline in the area mirrors a national trend. Over the last 80 years, the U.S. sheep herd has decreased by 90%. That’s partly driven by rising agricultural input costs, regional drought, lack of wool-processing infrastructure and an increase in imported lamb.
But it’s not just a dwindling supply of sheep that Laubach worries about. The Reed Point Community Club, which puts on the drive each year, has only a handful of organizers.
“This year they did have some new members, which really helped,” Laubach said.
Jessica Ullery, a second-year member who serves as the Community Club’s secretary, recently moved back to Reed Point from Park City, about 30 minutes east. Ullery’s mother, Norma, has been part of the club for 30 years. Norma and other members talked Jessica into joining.
The sheep drive raises money and awareness for the Community Club, which functions similarly to a Rotary Club. It delivers candy to the school on Valentine’s Day and sponsors a Santa on Christmas. The club is currently raising money to renovate the historic train depot into a public gathering space.
Laubach, who lived with his family in Reed Point for 25 years, has fond memories of the town.
“They treated my kids very well, the school and the Reed Point community,” Laubach said. He considers contributing his sheep for the drive “kind of a payback deal.”
And he says he’s ready to do it again next year, though he’s not sure how many more drives he’ll be able to participate in. But after 38 years, he’s convinced that Reed Point has what it takes to keep the tradition alive.
“As long as somebody is willing to do the work to get the sheep there, I think it’s going to carry on,” Laubach said. “Why? I don’t know. But people just come and spend the day and watch the sheep run down the street and back up again and call it good.”
