American Woodworking of Hannibal, MO and Pearse Taxidermy of Kane, IL, utilizing their combined professional talents, recently placed third out of 800 entries in the Masters Collective Division of the 2005 World Taxidermy Competition recently held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield, IL. The piece, or “trophy”, was a rare white-striped black bear taken in northwestern Ontario, Canada by American Woodworking owner, Chad Taylor.
Louis Pearse, Mike Pearse, and Mary Jane Clark of Pearse Taxidermy mounted the bear in a realistic background indigenous to Northwest Canada. The display case, custom-designed and built by American Woodworking, was fabricated from red oak and stands a total of 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Carved bear paws in part decorate the crown molding, and four glass doors were installed to provide easy access to the trophy. A round platform, on which the display is mounted, rotates slowly for full 360-degree viewing.
We are happy with what we got at the World Show, because we were up against some great taxidermists in that category," Taylor said. "To work your way up to Masters’ division you have to win an award of excellence in each category. It takes awhile to get that award, and a lot of hard work. Some professional taxidermists take 20 years to achieve Master Status, and some never reach it at all."
Century Films was on hand filming the competition. Their 90-minute film will be televised by the BBC in late 2005 and in the United States on a major network as early as Spring 2006.
Held every two years, the 2005 World Taxidermy and Fish Carving Championships attracted entrants from 14 countries. Reno, Nevada will host the competition in 2007.
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