Shearing competition set to resume

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

by Doug Laing

The shearing sports competition season resumes today with the Peninsula Duvauchelle Shears in Bank’s Peninsula settlement Duvauchelle.

Amid the hype of a few world record attempts in the woolsheds at the peak of the shearing season, it’s the first show competition since the first weekend of December, and the first in the South Island since the last weekend of November.

In a schedule of 59 competitions on the Shearing Sports New Zealand calendar from the end of September to early April, there are nine shows this month, with a big three days on January 19-21, with six competitions spanning near the length of New Zealand from Kaikohe in the north to Winton in the south,

The features are the shearing and woolhandling of the national fullwool championships near Lumsden on January 19, the national crossbred lambs championships the next day at nearby Winton, and the Horowhenua Shears on January 21 at the first Royal A&P Show New Zealand Show in Levin.

The devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle in February last year means the Wairoa A&P Show is unable to take place at its showgrounds, being replaced by a fair in the town centre but with its shearing championships transferred from the showgrounds to a woolshed for the third time since 2010.

Another feature is today’s Te Puna Speed Shear at Whakamarama, west of Tauranga and the longest-running speed shear in New Zealand, having been first held in 2000.

The competitions start a build-up to such major events as next month’s Southern Shears in Gore and Otago Shears in Balclutha, the Golden Shears in Masterton in March, and the New Zealand Shears in Te Kuiti in April.

The January events are:

January 13 (Saturday): Peninsula Duvauchelle Shears (shearing only), at Duvauchelle A&P Show, 6050 Christchurch Akaroa Rd, Duvauchelle, starts 10.30am; Te Puna Speed Shear, at The Point Ale House, Whakamarama, starts 5.30pm.

January 18: Otautau Speed Shears, Railway Hotel, Otautau.

January 19 (Friday): Northern Southland Community Shears (New Zealand Full Wool Shearing and Woolhandling Championships), at Lowther Downs, Fiver Rivers-Lumsden Highway, Lumsden, starts 7.30am (woolhandling), 12.30pm (shearing); Wairoa A&P Speed Shear, at Kauhouroa Station, Tiniroto Rd, Frasertown, starts 7pm; Winton Speed Shear, Middle Pub, Winton.

January 20 (Saturday): Kaikohe A P & H Show Shears (shearing only), at the Showgrounds, Ngawha Springs Rd, Kaikohe, starts 10.30am; Wairoa A&P Show Shears (shearing only), at Kauhouroa Station, Tiniroto Rd, Frasertown, starts 8.30am; Golden Bay A&P Show (shearing only), at Takaka Recreation Park, Takaka Valley Highway, Takaka, starts 10.30am; Southland Shears (New Zealand Crossbred Lambs Shearing and Woolhandling Championships), at Winton A&P Show, Winton Racecourse, Racecourse Rd, Winton, starts 8am; Colac Bay Speed Shear, Colac Bay.

January 21 (Sunday): Horowhenua Shearing Championships, at Royal New Zealand Show (shearing and woolhandling), at A P&I. Association Showgrounds, Tiro Tiro Rd, Levin, starts 9am.

January 27 (Saturday): Taihape A&P Show (shearing and woolhandling), at Taihape Shearing Pavilion, Memorial Park. Kokako St, Taihape, starts 8.30am.

January 27 (Saturday): Tapawera Shears (shearing only), Matai Cr, Tapawera, starts 10am.