Gregorio Cortaberria (Hermiston) is an expert sheep shearer. In his prime, he could shear over 100 sheep in an hour.
Bio
Cortaberria was 25 when he came to the United States in 1968 to escape the conflicts in Franco’s Spain. After working in ranching and timbering, he received a three-year contract to shear sheep and afterwards became a permanent resident. In 2014, he became a U.S. citizen. From 1972 until 1985, Cortaberria worked as part of a sheep-shearing crew that traveled across Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, and Nevada. He eventually moved to Hermiston, Oregon, where a big feed lot there provided work. He spent 27 years logging in the summer; when the logging shut down during the winter, he would shear sheep. At 35, Cortaberria left the sheep crew and continued shearing on his own. In his prime he could shear over 100 sheep an hour; now he averages about 60 and says shearing keeps him fit. These days, Cortaberria shears sheep for 4-H clubs, and prefers sheep to be cleaned before he trims them. He begins shearing their bellies and legs, then stands them up and works around to their backs, outside legs, heads, and tails. Cortaberria hand-sharpens his blades and goes through several blades each day. Part of his payment is all of the wool he shears, which he later sells.
