Shield Challenge At Ashburton Show

A challenge for South Island shearing trophy the Colin King Shield will be held at the Ashburton A and P Show Shears on Saturday.

The trophy is held by Southland, and competition organisers say a challenge has been lodged by the South Island shearing committee’s Region 2, effectively North Canterbury, after holders Southland decided to take the trophy “on the road” to encourage more competition for the shield they won by beating North Canterbury in Christchurch last November.

But it could be a double-hit, with South Canterbury also being a possible challenger in the event in which teams have one shearer from each grade, organisers saying that with the relay format the challenge can accommodate as many teams as the number of stands at each venue.

The trophy was presented in 2021 by New Zealand’s most successful left-handed shearer, former Golden Shears and New Zealand Shears Open champion and multiple national shearing circuit champion Colin King, who also became an MP.

Organisers say the relay gives young shearers a chance to mix-it on the same team as Open-class competitors and learn from the experience, among the top competitors expected to be Southland shearer Nathan Stratford, just back from representing New Zealand in a transtasman test in South Australia.

The challenge will be at one of two shearing sports competitions on Saturday, with the Wairarapa Spring Shears shearing and woolhandling championships being held at the Wairarapa A and P Show at Clareville, Carterton. There are 59 competitions on the Shearing Sports New Zealand calendar, of which 41 are at A and P shows.

Shearing at Ashburton starts at 9.30am, with Junior heats, followed by Intermediate, Senior and Open grades, as well as the Blades event, with the challenge expected to be shorn in the afternoon.

The Wairarapa shears will also include Novice shearing and woolhandling, with competitions starting at 8am, and the Open woolhandling expected to include Masterton’s Cushla Abraham, who with South Island teammate Tia Potae last Saturday scored a woolhandling test match win over Australia.

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