The Crown has been contested since the Golden Shears started in Masterton in 1972-1973, but was interrupted by Covid-19 restrictions cancelling the Shears for the last two seasons.
Southlanders are the first four in the order of favouritism at the TAB, headed by 2014 winner, Invercargill shearer Nathan Stratford.
Stratford has 17 Circuit finals under his belt and a career total of 73 open finals - which are both more than the number of finals and career wins across the rest of the qualifiers.
Second favourite is Leon Samuels, also of Invercargill, who won the final on his first attempt last year.
The third favourite is 2018 Canterbury All-Breeds Circuit winner and two-times National circuit finalist Ringakaha Paewai, of Gore.
Joint fourth favourites are Mataura shearer Brett Roberts and leading North Island hope, Paerata Abraham, of Masterton.
Two-times Circuit finalist Roberts won the Apiti open final on Saturday and came third in the 2019 National Circuit finals, while Abraham is a four-times Circuit finalist and 2019 winner.
The fifth Southland shearer to qualify is Lionel Taumata, of Gore.
Points were amassed for placings in the heats at five competitions during the season - three of them before Christmas at the New Zealand Merino Shears in Alexandra and the Waimate Spring Shears (crossbred long wool) in October, and the New Zealand Corriedale Championships in Christchurch in November.
The pandemic meant the usual lambs round at the Rangitikei Shearing Sports and the second-shear round at the Pahiatua Shears could not go ahead. Both were staged at Apiti.
Stratford was top qualifier at Alexandra and Waimate, while Hugh De Lacy was top qualifier at Christchurch. Abraham bolted back into calculations by being top qualifier in the second-shear round on Saturday, while top qualifier on the lambs was Te Kuiti shearer Jack Fagan. Fagan, son of nine-times circuit winner Sir David Fagan, in December shore 811 lambs in a nine-hours fiver-stand World record claim.
Jack Fagan will be one of six who will be trying for places in the six-man final for the first time.
Of special note amongst the top 12 is the emergence of some of the brightest prospects from the lower grades of recent years, and reward for some long apprenticeships in the Open grade.
Paewai was No 1-ranked Senior nationwide in 2005-2006, Fagan was No 1-ranked Junior in 2009-10, Intermediate in 2010-2011 and Senior in 2012-2013, Manawatu shearer Aaron Haynes was No 1-ranked Senior in 2009-2010, Masterton shearer Matene Mason was No 1-ranked Senior in 2010-2011 and David Gordon, also from Masterton, was No 1-ranked Intermediate in 2012-2013.
Willy McSkimming, now returned to the South Island and based in Oamaru as a field representative for Heiniger after more than a decade shearing contracting in the King Country, is a grandson of finewool shearing legend Fred McSkimming, in honour of whom the McSkimming Memorial Triple Crown was presented.
The showdown at Armidale Merino Stud will be on merino wethers, half-bred merino-romney ewes, second-shear crossbred longwool and lambs, with four of each in the semi-finals and five of each in the final.
The qualifiers are: Nathan Stratford, Leon Samuels, Hugh De Lacy, Brett Roberts, Paerata Abraham, Aaron Haynes, Jack Fagan, David Gordon, Willy McSkimming, Matene Mason, Lionel Taumata, Ringakaha Paewai. Reserve: James Ruki.
