Running of the Sheep, NZ Shearing Championships

MEDIA RELEASE

FROM: Waitomo District Council

FOR: Immediate release

MARCH 21, 2007

Thousands of four-legged woolly animals are set to takeover Te Kuiti’s main street on March 31.

The New Zealand Shears Running of the Sheep is the largest event of its kind in the world - attracting thousands of spectators and world-wide media attention to Te Kuiti and the Waitomo District.

The sheep run started four years ago to celebrate the New Zealand Shearing Championships and the Great New Zealand Muster – two fitting events for the self-proclaimed shearing capital of the world.

Four hundred of New Zealand’s best shearers will be competing at the championships in Te Kuiti from March 29 to 31.

The Great New Zealand Muster on March 31 is a day of entertainment and discovery with 100 stalls and exhibits, as the people of Te Kuiti and their many visitors await the famous sheep run.

The sheep come from the farm of shearing icon and New Zealand Shearing Sports chairman John Fagan.

While Mr Fagan is charged with the task of ensuring his sheep make it to town on time, his brother David will be sweating it out on the shearing stand, vying for possibly his 17th New Zealand Shearing Championships open title.

Once the sheep arrive in Te Kuiti a team of 20 shepherds, five working dogs, three quad bikes and even a few celebrities will guide them through town at 2pm.

Sheep counting skills will be tested, with $1000 up for grabs for the person who can guess the exact number of sheep running.

Organisers devise a different twist each year to surprise spectators.

They have confirmed that New Zealand Idol judge Frankie Stevens is returning, this time to try his hand at shearing a sheep the old fashioned way, but are remaining tight-lipped as to what else is in store this year.

They are confident the event will be unlike anything the New Zealand public has seen before.

“It started off as wild an idea as the sheep on that first run, but now it’s become a recognizable iconic part of the event,” said Mr Fagan.

“We want to show people the real grass-roots, rural New Zealand.”

While the focus on March 31 is very much on sheep and shearing, the Waitomo District – just one hour south of Hamilton and two hours from New Plymouth - is renowned for its labyrinth of underground caves, stunning glowworms and limestone formations.

The adventure tourism Mecca also offers horse treks, quad biking, bush walking, kayaking, rock-climbing, abseiling and black water rafting – all within 15 minutes’ drive from the famous New Zealand Shears Running of the Sheep.

ENDS