2010 Golden Shears World Championships
The Welsh Team attending the 2008 World Shearing Championships
From left back row: Trefor Jones (Hand Shearer), Ray Davies (World Council Member), Arwyn Jones (Team Manager), Elfed Jackson (Hand Shearer)
Middle row: Bronwen Tango (Woolhandler), Beca & Moli Jackson (Welsh Mascots)
Front row: Gareth Daniel (Machine Shearer), Gwenan Paewai (Woolhandler), Nicky Beynon (Machine Shearer)
Top shearers from Wales will be competing not only for the leading prizes at the Royal Welsh Show in July but also for the chance to represent their country at next year’s Golden Shears World Championships.
Over 30 countries are expected to send teams to Llanelwedd for the event in 2010 when it returns to the Royal Welsh Show for only the second time. It was last staged at the show in 1994.
Shearers from Wales have in the past reached the finals of the championships but they have never quite made it to the hotly-contested top places, although Wales won the Woolhandling Competitions at the championships when they were held in Ireland in 1998. The selection of the teams at this year’s show, however, will give those chosen to represent Wales 12 months to practice and to get fully fit for the world event.
The machine shearing team will consist of the winner of the Champion Shearer of Wales competition held at the 2009 Royal Welsh Show and the winner of the Welsh Open Circuit. In the event of the same competitor winning both contests, the second-placed competitor from the Circuit will qualify instead. These two team members will be expected to travel to New Zealand in March – April next year to represent Wales in six Test matches.
The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s sheep shearing committee said it hopes the qualifying team will “make every effort” to travel to New Zealand to gain valuable experience from competing against the official New Zealand team in the Test matches.
The hand shearing team for the championships will consist of the highest-placed Welsh competitor in the 2009 Open Commercial Hand Shearing competition and the winner of the 2009 Welsh Open Commercial Hand Shearing Circuit. In the event of the same person winning both competitions, the second-placed competitor from the Circuit will qualify instead.
The woolhandling team destined for the world championships will consist of the highest placed Welsh competitor in the 2009 Open (All Nations) Woolhandling competition together with the winner of the 2009 Welsh Open Woolhandling Circuit. If the same person wins both competitions the second-placed competitor from the Circuit will qualify instead.
The aim of the sheep shearing committee is to send the hand shearers and the woolhandling team to New Zealand to gain experience before the 2010 world championships. The projected visit by these two teams, however, will depend on funding being available.