Taihape teacher Sheree Alabaster in New Zealand team for shearing and woolhandling world champs

Sheree Alabaster, one of New Zealand's most successful woolhandlers, is off to the world championships in France.

Taihape's Sheree Alabaster is heading to the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in France next week and will be hoping to repeat her previous success.

The championships will be held at Le Dorat on July 1-7.

Alabaster, who is a teacher, is one of New Zealand's most successful woolhandlers. She won world titles in 2008 in the individual and team competitions and was in the winning team again in 2010.

She is a specialist in second-shear competition, winning the New Zealand Championships open final in Te Kuiti nine times since 2004 and has won 67 open finals.

Alabaster has been runner-up in the Golden Shears open final for three consecutive years in 2015-17. She regained her world championships place by finishing runner-up in this year's New Zealand team selection final at the Golden Shears.