Shearing champs here start of sequence

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

by Doug Laing

Shearers and woolhandlers have gathered in Gisborne for the first North Island competitions of the new season at the Poverty Bay A&P Show.

The annual Gisborne Shearing and Woolhandling Championships opened with a speedshear and woolhandling quick throw yesterday, while the main event, the shearing and woolhandling championships, is on today.

It started with lower grade heats at 8.30am and ending with finals late afternoon.

Competition involves Junior, Intermediate, Senior and Open shearing grades and Novice, Junior, Senior, and Open woolhandling grades.

It’s the first of a sequence of A&P Show shearing and woolhandling competitions in the eastern and lower North Island region over the next month.

Further competitions are the Hawke’s Bay Show’s Great Raihania Shears in Hastings next Friday (October 20), the Wairarapa Spring Shears at Clareville (Carterton) on October 28, the Manawatu A&P Show at Manfeild on November 4, and the Central Hawke’s Bay A&P Show in Waipukurau on November 11.