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War memorial hall becomes a shearing in world champs prelude
MEDIA RELEASE
February 2, 2017
War memorial hall becomes a shearing in world champs prelude
Organisers of the Otago Shears which start tomorrow (Friday) are bringing in extra sheep to cope with increased entries in the final shakedown before next week’s World championships in Invercargill.
Organising committee member Ken Payne said keen interest from World Championships teams means about 2000 sheep will be shorn in the two days of shearing and woolhandling in the Balclutha War Memorial Hall – about 400 more than normal..
Finishing on Saturday, the two-day Otago championships have been an annual event for more than 55 years, and comprise four grades of shearing, and the three classes of the New Zealand Woolhandler of the Year and Southern Woolhandling Circuit competitions.
They are being held a week earlier than normal because of the timing of the World Championships, on February 8-11, but now clash with two-days of competitions in the North Island – the Dannevirke A and P Show tomorrow (Friday) and the Rangitikei Shearing Sports’ North Island championships in Marton, which incorporate the fourth round of the PGG Wrightson National Circuit.
They also clash with two other events around the country.
World championships teams have been involved in two training days at Mt Linton in Southland, and
Otago and while machine shearers and woolhandlers head for Balclutha looking for a final shakedown before next week’s big event in ILT Stadium Southland, some blades shearers are expected to head to the Reefton A and P Show, about nine hours’ drive, for a blade shearing competition at the Inangahua A and P Show on Saturday.
With shearing is also on the programme also at the North Kaipara A and P Show at Paparoa in Northland on Saturday, the competitions bring up the half-way stage of the Shearing Sports New Zealand competition calendar of more than 60 competitions through the country from October to April.
Further details are available on the facebook page Shearing Sports New Zealand and atwww.worldshearingchamps.com or www.shearingsports.co.nz
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