Shearing: Angus Moore steps back from World Championships ambition

Marlborough shearer Angus Moore winning the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit for a third time, at the 2023 Golden Shears. Photo / Pete Nikolaison

Marlborough shearer Angus Moore will possibly have his last competition of the season his home show on Sunday.

The new three-time national shearing circuit champion, and Golden Shears open runner-up, will be giving up what was once an ambition to represent New Zealand at this year’s World Championships in Scotland.

Moore will shear in the Flaxbourne A and P Show Shears but said he wouldn’t be at next week’s New Zealand Shears in Te Kuiti, where the open shearing final will decide the black singlets machine shearing teammate for Golden Shears champion Rowland Smith.

But as the winner of the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shrearing Circuit final at the Golden Shears on March 4 (his third win in the event) the father-of-six and shearing contractor is entitled to a place in the New Zealand transtasman series next summer.

Moore said he and his wife Ratapu decided that with the children aged two to 10, the business, and the home and property, the priority had to be on those aspects and now was “not the time” to take the time qualify and get to the World Championships.

He’s also the organiser of Sunday’s shears at the Ward Domain, where shearing in the four grades from junior to open will start at 11.30 am - and is being earmarked for the role of show president in the near future.

The competition is reverting back from strong wool breeds to the finer-wooled Corriedales with a hope of a 12-sheep open final.

Meanwhile, the Waitoma Caves Sports in the King Country on Saturday will be the venue for the second match in the shearing series between New Zealand and the Wales Development Team.

New Zealand shearer Smith and Leon Samuels won the first match against Welsh shearers Gethin Lewis and Dylan Jones at Raetihi last Saturday.

Shearing at the Waitomo Domain will be held in all grades from novice to open, starting at 10 am, with entries being taken on the day.