Fiddlers Featured At National Western Stock Show

The fiddling begins at 9 a.m. Saturday in the Beef Palace Auction Arena with the Small Fry competition. The event is free with general admission to the stock show. It features fiddlers of all ages throughout the day, with a mix of youth, adult and senior competitions.

The Cream of the Crop of Fiddling

While the Colorado Old Time Fiddlers’ Association holds other contests and events year round, the Colorado Fiddle Championships is the cream of the crop, attracting fiddlers from all over the west, vying to win thousands of dollars in prize money.

Here’s how each round works. Contestants at each appearance must play a hoedown, a waltz and a tune of choice, which is designated as anything other then a waltz or a breakdown. Divisions exist for every age and level of competitor, which includes six age group divisions, the championship/open division, adult and youth novice, favorite accompanist and twin fiddle. In the 4th round of every division a Round Robin will determine the winner of the final three contestants.

This year, Amy Carwile, Luke Price and Rick Youngblood will be judges of the competition. Each judge has a seasoned fiddling background. Carwile has been playing the fiddle since she was 8-years-old and Price has since he was 7-years-old. Meanwhile, Youngblood was the National Men’s Championship fiddler in 1979.