You don’t have to go to a hoedown to hear some of the finest folk music by some of the best fiddlers around. This Saturday and Sunday you can hear everyone from the “small fries” to the “grand seniors” showcase their fiddling talents in the 10th annual Colorado Rocky Mountain Fiddle Championships at the 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, which is free with general admission to the stock show, features fiddlers of all ages throughout the day, with a mix of youth, adult and senior competitions.

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.

Online registration for the competition is now closed, however if you wish to register for the contest, you may do so at the contest location Saturday beginning at 8:00 a.m. The Beef Palace Auction Arena can be somewhat hard to find, so click here for a map of the National Western complex. And for more information on the Colorado Fiddle Championships visit www.coloradofiddlers.org.

TUFF SHED is a proud sponsor of the contest and we wish the best of luck to all of the contestants. Be sure to stop by our booth at the National Western Stock Show to place an order, say hello to our crew and even hear some the great fiddlers that will be featured at the contest who often stop by to play a tune!