EXPERIENCED shearer Rowland Smith has already earned a spot in the NZ team heading to Scotland. File photo
THE New Zealand Shearing Championships is a significant annual event for Te Kūiti, but this year it holds even more gravitas for the shearers as the gateway to the world stage.
By Saturday night, judges will have found the final machine shearer heading to Scotland for the 2023 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships.
Shearing Sports New Zealand chair Sir David Fagan said there was a lot of hype and expectation around the event as a result.
“It’s everyone’s dream to make that team.”
As someone who has been in the team several times during his career, David said the hardest part was qualifying.
“Once you’re in the team, you’ve got a chance once you’re over there, but it’s very hard to make that two-man team.”
The New Zealand team is comprised of two woolhandlers, two machine shearers and two blade shearers, managed by Ronnie King – who David described as one of New Zealand’s top judges.
Each country also sends a shearing and a woolhandling judge to Scotland. For New Zealand, they’re South Island farmers Donald Johnston and Janet Smith.
The woolhandlers have already been selected and the blade shearers will earn their spots at the Mackenzie A and P Show on Easter Monday.
Rowland Smith, who has been to the world championships before, makes up one half of the machine shearing team after placing first at the Golden Shears in Masterton earlier this month.
The second slot will be determined by who wins the open event in Te Kūiti. If Rowland wins here, too, the second placegetter will go to Scotland.
“Saturday night someone is going to be unbelievably happy,” David said.
When the team gets to the world champs, they’ll compete both as individuals and as a team.
- The NZ Shearing Championships is being held at the Les Munro Centre in Te Kūiti from March 30 to April 1.
- Admission is free for all day sessions, with varying costs for the evenings; Thursday night’s speed shear is entry by donation, Friday night’s session costs $15 and the Saturday evening (where the NZ team shearer will be selected) will cost $25.
