Rangiora Shears cancelled, but other competitions to go ahead

The Whangarei A and P Show Shearing held for the first rime 12 months ago and at this stage still set to go ahead on December 4. Photo / SSNZ

The Rangiora Shears are off despite attempts to avoid cancellation for a second year in a row.

But while it becomes the seventh competition to be cancelled pre-Christmas, nine others are still going ahead.

The outcome in Rangiora was confirmed today by convener Noel Handley, who said the cancellation was due to sheep transportation issues.

Organisers had been trying to resolve this since the Northern A and P Association announced a fortnight ago that the Rangiora Show, which was to have been held on October 22-23, was cancelled.

An association statement at the time said the Rangiora Show – one of the oldest in New Zealand and having celebrated 150 years in 2016 – had been cancelled due to uncertainty with Covid levels.

"Our committee felt the financial risk to the Association was too great," that statement said.

"The decision was especially hard given it's the second year this has happened."

Rangiora becomes the seventh competition to be cancelled in the new Shearing Sports New Zealand season, which initially comprised 59 competitions.

These range from A and P Shows to country sports days, and stand-alone events - such as the New Zealand Merino Shears, which opened the season in Alexandra last week.

All of those cancelled have been A and P show events, five of them having had both shearing and woolhandling competitions.

The stand-alone Waimate Shears, starts tomorrow, with woolhandling and the New Zealand Winter Comb Shearing Championships, and ends with the crossbred shearing on Saturday.

Two North Island events are still on, including the Whangarei A and P Show, which held a shearing competition for the first time last year with a specially-built stand worth at least $40,000.

Competition organisers of the remaining events are determined to go ahead - even without crowds, if Covid restrictions continue.

They are urging competitors to sign up as soon as possible to avoid missing out, as alert levels could limit entries. Sheep numbers have also been an issue for several events.

Events still going ahead pre-Christmas

October 8-9: Waimate Shears (New Zealand Spring Shearing and Woolhandling Championships).

October 30: Ashburton A and P Show (shearing only).

November 6: Marlborough A and P Show (shearing only), at Blenheim; Gymkhana Shears (shearing only), at Pleasant Point.

November 11 12: Canterbury Shears (New Zealand Corriedale Shearing and Woolhandling Championships), at Christchurch.

November 20: Nelson A and P Show (shearing only), at Richmond Park, Nelson; West Otago A and P Show (shearing only), at Tapanui.

November 27: Stratford A and P Show - Taranaki Shears (shearing only), at Stratford.

December 4: Whangarei A and P Show, Barge Showgrounds, Whangarei.

Cancelled events

Poverty Bay, Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa, Manawatū, Central Hawke's Bay, Rangiora and Ellesmere.