Golden Shears about to start in Masterton

Golden Shears about to start in Masterton

The diverse cross-section of the New Zealand shearing industry and its sports is going on display as the 56th Golden Shears are held in Masterton this week.

Preceded by the Pre-Shears Woolhandling Championships at Massey University’s Riverside Farm north of Masterton tomorrow(Wednesday), the World’s annual shearing sports showpiece will be held from Thursday to Friday, with competitors from at least eight countries taking part.

There are competitors from Australia, Wales, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Norway, and Ne w Zealand. But competitions around the country this season have also included shearers and woolhandlers from France, Germany, Japan, and Mongolia.

The focus will on the dream of a Golden Shears title, but the main honours in the five shearing classes, four woolhandling classes, and woolpressing events are only parts of the programme, which includes separate shearing and woolhandling test matches against Australia.

The biggest honour of all is the Golden Shears Open shearing title for which Hawke’s Bay shearer Rowland Smith, formerly of Northland, is the hot-favourite.

More than 60 will start in the Open’s heats on Friday, aiming for places in the six-man final of 20 sheep each on Saturday night, soon after the final of the Open woolhandling championship in which the favourite is Dunedin-based 2014 and 2015 winner Joel Henare, from Gisborne.

ENDS

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