Prime Minister Bill English earned the first major victory of election year today.

Hawke's Bay shearer Rowland Smith scored a stunning Southland All Nations Open championship win in Invercargill last night on the

Before politics, he was a farmer - and now Prime Minister Bill English is due to show off his shearing skills against the world's

The Country: Jamie Mackay catches up with another member of the Fagan family. Today it's the turn of Sir David's older brother John, who Mackay likes to refer to as "the Jeff Wilson of rural sports". He gives us some insight on his "competitive" family.

The Country: Jamie Mackay was lucky enough to bump into "cheeky" Welsh shearing commentator Hugh Condron at the World Dinner at the Shearing and Woolhandling Championships. Condron is also a shearing judge at the big event.

The Country: Jamie Mackay catches up with Kiwi shearing legend (and warm favourite for the World title), John Kirkpatrick to hear how he's finding the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships.

The Country: Jamie Mackay catches up with arguably the world's best shearer Rowland Smith to find out why he's not competing at The World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships.

Bill English accepts challenge from the world's most decorated shearer Sir David Fagan.

Today's show is brought to you by the unpopular 1967 cancellation of the free milk in schools programme. Boo!

The Country: Jack "Son of Sir David" Fagan is making his own way in the shearing world. He caught up with Jamie Mackay at the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships to talk about his chances in the competition and the man he now calls "Sir Dad".

The Country: New Zealand shearing legend Alan MacDonald catches up with Jamie Mackay to talk about his memories of going head-to-head against a certain Sir David Fagan and what it's like to shear for nine hours.

The Country: Jamie Mackay catches up with former World Champion Australian shearer Shannon Warnest for an update on his experience at the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships.

It's the whole show in one go! Today The Country is brought to you by the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships which are

Mrs Harrison-Kyle was thrilled to see an increase in the number of female shearers over the past couple of years

New Zealand blade shearer Tony Dobbs has taken the first jump on his opposition ahead of the World blade shearing championships with

The 40th anniversary World shearing and woolhandling championships start today in Invercargill with organising committee chairman

The importance of home advantage looks like it will be a major factor when the World Championship titles are handed out on Saturday in Invercargill, according to the TAB.

A mini unofficial world championship is in the offing for the Reefton Shears tomorrow as some of the best in the ancient craft of

"Imagine the biggest roller coaster in the world and being on it." That is how World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships organising

The Country: The world’s most decorated shearer previews next month’s World Shearing and Woolhandling Champs in Invercargill. Will Rowland Smith be attending the big event?

Joel Henare and Nathan Stratford both went back-to-back with competition wins over the weekend, gearing up for the World Shearing Champs.

Today The Country is brought to you by the impressive pipes of Adele. Why? Because Jamie likes her music and he's in charge!

Three weeks out from the 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships, organising Committee Chairman Tom Wilson is a happy man.

The world's most decorated shearer looks forward to the World Shearing and Woolhandling Champs in Invercargill on February 8-11.

Reigning world champion shearer Rowland Smith was the ultimate victim of one of the toughest of national selection series in any sport

Chairman of the 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Champs, Tom Wilson, talks to Jamie Mackay on today's edition of The Country about

World champion Hawke's Bay shearers Rowland Smith and John Kirkpatrick have kept their hopes alive for another bid at the ultimate

Sir David Fagan: The world's most decorated shearer reviews two stunning world records in two weeks in the UK.