Thousands of sheep will take over Brigham City on Saturday; a nearly 100-year-old family tradition

BRIGHAM CITY, Utah (ABC4) — On Saturday, more than 2,000 sheep will stroll west down Highway 89 before taking over the streets of Brigham City.

Every fall since the 1930s, The Jensen family has taken their flock from their summer grazing grounds to their winter grazing grounds. It’s a tradition that draws a crowd of spectators and is loved by many.   

In the mountains of Cache County, horses neigh, dogs bark, bells jingle and sheep bleat as four ranch hands round up nearly 2,200 of the fleece-covered animals and corral them ahead of the annual march to the winter grazing grounds.  

“Each generation seems one step further removed from the agricultural history of the area,” Eph Jensen Livestock Manager Lane Jensen told ABC4. That history is something that’s close to his heart.   

“You’ve been doing this since you were a kid. You’re third generation. What made you want to continue the family tradition?” ABC4’s Kade Garner asked. “It was the lifestyle and wanting to carry on the legacy and heritage of my grandfather and what he put together,” replied Jensen.  

His grandfather, Eph, was the son of Danish immigrants and began herding sheep after serving in World War I. “It’s just a feeling to me that I have,” Jensen stated referring to his desire to carry on that legacy. “That it’s important to me.”  

The summer grazing grounds in Cache County are the same grounds his Eph was a steward of nearly 100 years ago. However, this ranch isn’t suitable for the sheep year-round. “It’s time to go home for breeding and to get out of here before the snow comes,” Jensen said as at least a dozen sheep stood behind him, almost as if they were listening to his every word.  

Home is near Bear River City in Box Elder County. It’s a 23-mile journey spread out over two days. “Range sheep like this is a nomadic business,” Jensen stated. “I guess it always has been. It almost feels like we’re moving all the time.”  

On day one, which is Friday, they’ll cross the backcountry to get to Mantua. On day two, which is Saturday, they’ll leave mantua around 8:00 a.m. The west bound lanes of Highway 89 will be closed as they head to Brigham City. They will arrive around 9:00 a.m. There, thousands of people will be waiting to greet them.   

“The ladies that work in the bank branch there in Brigham City were excited about it and stopped and asked if there was anything their kids could bring to help,” Jensen said. “I said, ‘Really, it’s easier now because with the amount of people watching it forces the sheep to stay on the pavement as opposed to venturing off on the lawns like they used to.’”  

Spectators can watch the sheep as they make their way north on 600 East before turning west on 600 North, eventually making their way home. A map of the route can be found by clicking here.