Shearing: Six one-day shows in busiest weekend of the season

A tenth of all competitions on the Shearing Sports New Zealand calendar will take place from Friday to Sunday.

An array of New Zealand full wool and lamb shearing titles will be at stake in the biggest weekend of shearing sports competition this summer.

Six one-day shows – a tenth of all competitions on the Shearing Sports New Zealand calendar – will take place from Friday to Sunday.

This includes the annual “big double” in Southland of the National Full Wool Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in a woolshed near Lumsden on Friday and the National Crossbred Lamb Shearing and Woolhandling Championships at the Winton A and P Show.

The Winton event is one of four A and P show competitions happening throughout the country on Saturday.

The three others are shearing-only competitions at the Kaikohe and Golden Bay A and P Shows, and the Wairoa A and P Show Shears.

This year Wairoa’s show takes place in a woolshed north of Wairoa, as it is unable to be held at the showgrounds because of the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle and other storms.

On Sunday, the Royal New Zealand Horowhenua Show Shears will be held in Levin, with woolhandling competition back on the programme after being a shearing-only show in recent years.

All the shows will feature competition in grades from open to junior, with novice classes at some events.

Shearing Sports New Zealand chairman Sir David Fagan said the third weekend of January had been the busiest weekend on the calendar for many years, and with about 300 competitors across the venues - some competing at more than one - it was a good way to get the early-New Year phase of the season into full swing.

“It also shows the resilience of some of our committees,” he said.

He referred to Wairoa in particular, which was unable to use its regular facilities for the third time since 2010 due to bad weather but “have again found another venue and carries on regardless”.

“It is one of our biggest one-day shows,” he said.

Shows and Speed Shears events schedule

January 19 (Friday)

Northern Southland Community Shears (New Zealand Full Wool Shearing and Woolhandling Championships), at Lowther Downs, Fiver Rivers-Lumsden Highway, Lumsden, starts 7.30am (woolhandling), 12.30pm (shearing).

Wairoa A and P Speed Shear, at Kauhouroa Station, Tiniroto Rd, Frasertown, starts 7pm.

Winton Speed Shear, Middle Pub, Winton.

January 20 (Saturday)

Kaikohe A, P and H Show Shears (shearing only), at the Showgrounds, Ngawha Springs Rd, Kaikohe, starts 10.30am.

Wairoa A and P Show Shears (shearing only), at Kauhouroa Station, Tiniroto Rd, Frasertown, starts 8.30am.

Golden Bay A and P Show (shearing only), at Takaka Recreation Park, Takaka Valley Highway, Takaka, starts 10.30am.

Southland Shears (New Zealand Crossbred Lambs Shearing and Woolhandling Championships), at Winton A and P Show, Winton Racecourse, Racecourse Rd, Winton, starts 8am; Colac Bay Speed Shear, Colac Bay.

January 21 (Sunday)

Horowhenua Shearing Championships, at Royal New Zealand Show (shearing and woolhandling), at A.P. and I. Showgrounds, Tiro Tiro Rd, Levin, starts 9am.