Sawdust is flying as Marissa O’Rourke of Prospect, Connecticut, participates in one of many events offered to competitors from many states at the Busch Lumberjack Championship hosted by Dark Horse Lumberjack Shows on Sept. 29 at Anheuser-Busch in Merrimack. Photo by LORETTA JACKSON

MERRIMACK – Dark Horse Lumberjack Shows, an enterprise headed by Ben Marshall of Greenland and an avid team of lumberjacking enthusiasts, drew competitors from dozens of states and around a thousand spectators to the regional Busch Lumberjack Championship presented on Sept. 29 at Anheuser-Busch Event Center in Merrimack.

“This is a solid community,” said Ben Minkau of Sodus, New York, whose eight years of lumberjacking honed his skills for the event. “I just finished the springboard chop.”

Detailed descriptions of the springboard chop are a click away. The championship showcased feats including the springboard chop, underhand chop and standing block chop, along with single buck, axe throw and hot saw.

Marshall noted that many spectators see a competition at one venue and bring more friends to the next because they know they “won’t see the same thing twice.”

“We meet a lot of people who love it so much they follow us around, like band groupies,” added Marshall.

Ben Minkau of Sodus, New York, wields his axe during the springboard chop event at the recent Busch Lumberjack Championship in Merrimack. Photo by LORETTA JACKSON

An array of amenities graces Dark Horse Lumberjack Shows. The Granite State Fair, the Cisco Brewers show in Portsmouth, the Farm & Forest Expo show at Deerfield and Maine’s Forestry Museum Lumberjack competition draws fans, as does the Busch Lumberjack Championship.

Activities for children, live music on stage and food trucks are perks. The Merrimack show found Bentley’s Famous BBQ, Timeless Treats, L&G Concessions and other supporters well patronized, as was the Biergarten & Gift Shop.

Marshall encourages the curious to visit any lumberjack show and consider giving a go to a growing sport.

“The crowd has always been great here and competitions like this wouldn’t be possible without the support of the community, sponsors, volunteers, and awesome competitors,” said Marshall. “It’s great to be back at Anheuser-Busch and since everyone’s already talking about 2025, we’ll have to do something special.”

More information on Dark Horse Lumberjack Shows can be found on Facebook, YouTube, or via email: darkhorselumberjackshows@gmail.com.

Ben and Becky Hanson and their youngster Grayson Hanson, age 5, all Nashuans, tote home a souvenir slice of wood gifted to them at the Busch Lumberjack Championship at Anheuser-Busch in Merrimack. Photo by LORETTA JACKSON

Challengers from many states displayed at the championship lumberjacking skills in the standing block chop event, single buck event, axe throw event and others. Photo by LORETTA JACKSON

Family friendly Dark Horse Lumberjack Shows, based in Greenland, offer live music, food trucks, activities and treats such as the Nutty Buddy ice cream cone meeting its end on the lips of this young visitor to the show. Photo by LORETTA JACKSON