History

The Bobendrier name in purebred sheep circles dates back to 1915 — the first year that Jack (Pete’s father) first exhibited at the Minnesota State Fair. The Bobendriers have been showing sheep ever since.

The breeds of choice in the early years were Border Leicesters and Shropshires, the two most popular breeds of that era. The Hampshires were added in 1954 with a group of ewes that were of Gluek breeding. The Gluek Brewing Co. in Minnesota had a nationally recognized flock of Hampshires in the two decades prior to that time.

Chuck had a small flock of Southdowns for his 4-H and FFA projects from 1955 to 1963. The Southdowns were the perennial winners in all the market lamb shows in the upper Midwest in the 1950s and were the obvious choice if one were to expect any success in the multibreed shows.

The Bobendrier Shropshire and Southdown flocks were dispersed in 1963 and total emphasis was directed to the breeding of Hampshires that were productive and competitive in the show ring. In the early 1970s, the flock ventured out to exhibit at the neighboring state fairs and in 1976 made their first appearance at the national show in Louisville, Ky.

Today, Bobendrier Hampshires is owned and managed by Chuck and his two sons, Tom and Dave. A deep support system is provided by Chuck’s wife, Jan, their five daughters, and their spouses and children.

In 2004, Chuck was inducted into the Minnesota Livestock Hall of Fame. Read more here. And in 2015, the Bobendrier family was honored for 100 years of participation in the sheep exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair. Read more here.