A second in the teams’ blade event was the best result for New Zealand at the Golden Shears World Sheep Shearing & Woolhandling Championships at the Royal Highland Show in Scotland.
This is the first time since 1977 and in 19 events that a New Zealand competitor has not claimed a title at the world event.
Taking the top individual titles were Gwion Lloyd Evans from Wales for machine, Bonile Rabela from South Africa for blade, and Rosie Keenan from Scotland for woolhandling.
In the team’s section, South Africa triumphed in blade, Wales took the title for machine, and Wales for woolhandling.
NZ’s Tony Dobbs finished fourth in the individual blade shearing event while Dobbs and Allan Oldfield finished second in the teams’ blade final.
Woolhandling pair Candy Hiri and Ngaio Hanson were fourth in the woolhandling teams’ event.
Rowland Smith and Leon Samuels were sixth in the machines teams event won by the Welsh pair.
The biggest surprise of the championships was that for the first time New Zealand was not represented in either the machine shearing or woolhandling individual finals.
The Golden Shears is the pinnacle for shearers and woolhandlers, with 30 countries competing for the top prizes this year. This is only the second time Golden Shears has been held in Scotland, the last time being 2003.
NZ will host the 20th Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Masterton on March 4-7 2026.
The Golden Shears was first held in 1977 and takes place every few years in different locations around the world.
Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) chair Jim Warnock said the society was delighted to welcome the Golden Shears this year, having won a competitive tender to host the event back in 2019.
“It was a brilliant competition which brought the eyes of the world to Scotland to watch the very best in shearing and woolhandling talent.”
