Taihape Shears convenor and Taihape shearing contractor Stu Munro said the sheep put up by farmer Graham Maher were regarded by many as some of the best for competition.
By the end of the crutching, it will be the best of the best, with time needed during the day for not only the crutching but also drafting sheep to make sure the very best are available for the glamour Open finals.
While strong fields are expected, the Open shearing will be missing two of those who won last weekend.
Former World and Golden Shears champion Gavin Mutch, winner at Taihape in 2021 and who won at the Wairarapa A&P Show, is in the United States for three weeks and Jack Fagan, who won the national crossbred lambs final at Winton, is in Australia for a wedding.
Another not competing this weekend is Mataura shearer Brett Roberts, out with a hand injury.
The Taihape Shears, which starts on Saturday at 8.30am with shearing and woolhandling from Novice to Open grades, was first held in 1962, less than 12 months after the first Golden Shears. The marking of 60 years was to have been held last year but the show had to be cancelled because of pandemic restrictions.
The first competition was held on a stage mounted on 44-gallon drums, and the first Open shearing final was won by Bing MacDonald, who won the Golden Shears Open final four weeks later.
Over the years it has featured most of New Zealand’s top shearers, including late local heroes Ray Alabaster and Colin Bosher, and multiple world champion Sir David Fagan.
The woolhandling has featured such competitors as world champions Joanne Kumeroa, Alabaster’s daughter and current committee member Sheree Alabaster, Joel Henare and Keryn Herbert, who won the last final in 2021.
Like many rural competitions, there’s a small committee doing all the hard work beforehand, but a sizeable force on the day with mainly-local shed crew and judging officials from across the Central North Island.
