On Saturday 9th, the national shearing competition resumes at 9am with the Western Shears in Raglan at the Rugby Grounds in Cross St. This is the first event since November and includes the national lamb shearing championship. The event is expected to included defending champion Paul Avery from Taranaki, John Kirkpatrick from Napier, King Country legend David Fagan and Jerome McCrea from Wanganui.
Reentering the competition in January 2009, 35-year-old McCrea hadn’t won a title in eight years but triumphed in an 18-sheep final at the Stratford A and P Show last November, but now he’s after the big one – the next World championships in Wales next July. His journey really started when after less than two months he qualified for the six-man Golden Shears open final in Masterton, sharing the drama of the comeback 16th win by King Country icon David Fagan, at the age of 47. McCrea had reached the final in his last season of shearing in 2002, when his abilities as a shearer were almost concealed by his image as a monster biker, on his beloved Harley Davidson.
The open competition heats form the fourth of five qualifying rounds in the top all-wools competition, the PGG Wrightson National Round. The competition begins the countdown and selection for the World Shearing Championships in Wales in July.
| Shearing: | Start Time: 10.00 am | |||||
| Open | TPV | $3000 | 1st | $1000 | EF | $40 |
| Senior | TPV | $ 1350 | 1st | $ 500 | EF | $40 |
| Intermediate | TPV | $ 670 | 1st | $ 300 | EF | $23 |
| Junior | TPV | $ 505 | 1st | $ 200 | EF | $20 |
The finals start about 2.30pm and finish about 4.30.
For more information contact:
| Warren Parker | Ph: 07 825-5141 |
| 103 Parker Access Rd, RD 1, Raglan | Email: parkerw@no8wireless.co.nz |
And on Saturday eveing the annual speed shear competition gets underway at Te Mata Club. Parking is limited and drink is available, so there’s a 6pm bus (and as needed to shuttle back and forth) from Petchells for a 7pm start. Finish is abut 10.30, but then there’s a fun event with cycle powered shears in teams of 4, one of whom must be female at $20 per team.
Western Shears is for sheep, with wool handling, Speed Shear is for lambs. Children are welcome at both events.