Top competition for sheep shearing - 31st March 2023

The Golden Shears is the world's leading sheep shearing competition. Held in Masterton, New Zealand for over six decades, it has international appeal, with competitors coming from far and wide.

Once regarded as a simple farm task, sheep shearing has now been recognised as an exclusive sporting event.

Keryn Herbert comments on the physical challenges.

Keryn Herbert: "If you look at a lot of people who do the competitions in New Zealand in shearing and wool handling, I guarantee you at school they were probably top sports people too."

For shearer Joel Henare, the art of sheep shearing needs a combination of both physical and mental strength.

Joel Henare: "You need to be fit, yeah, but, in your body physically, but you also need to have the mental strength as well to be able to pull you through, yeah, so you got everything locked down."

Groups of six shearers compete against their opponents in this yearly, three-day long contest. Their task - to expertly shear 20 sheep each - is assessed by the judges, a packed stadium, and 70,000 spectators on live stream.

It's vital that the Bowen technique is used, which ensures that a sheep's fleece is removed without any damage to the wool fibre, the animal or the shearer.

Gavin Mutch, originally from Scotland, is taking part.

Gavin Mutch: "The sudden burst of intensity you have to have, it's, yeah, it's unbelievable pressure put on your body and the energy levels you use."

Wool handling is another key element in the competition and is of real importance in the presentation and marketing of wool worldwide. Here, however, there's no standard technique because of the different breeds of sheep and the diverse ways of processing which are used around the world.

The competitors tackle this with power and speed, driven on by the desire to win the Golden Shears.