What in the Wool is the Golden Shears World Championship?

Did you know that shearing wool from a sheep is actually an internationally recognized sporting competition? Once a national event secluded to the islands of New Zealand has now spread and become the Golden Shears World Premier Shearing and Woolhandling Championship. Shearers from all over the world come together and compete to be the supreme champion of the Golden Shears.

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All About the Wool

The Golden Shears Shearing and Woolhandling Competition is an internationally recognized event hosting masters in shearing, wool handling, and wool pressing. The first Golden Shears event was held in 1961 in Masterson, New Zealand, but inspired similar events in other countries. There are competitions every year in Masterson, and the World Championships are held in various locations every 2-4 years.

Who Has What It Takes to Claim the Golden Shears?

The Golden Shears World Championships were first held in England in 1977. Competitors came together from all over the world to show their speed, strength and skill in the shearing and handling events to claim the Golden Shears title.

The most recent championships took place on June 22-25, 2023 at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh, Scotland. There were competitors from 30 different countries who participated either as a team or individual to complete the grueling task of shearing sheep and handling the wool.

The 20^th Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships will be held on March 4-7, 2026 and hosted in New Zealand. Viewers can purchase tickets to watch the events either in person or via livestream.

These events are intense but gives an interesting inside look at the hard work and skill that goes into processing the wool for our creative projects. Fascinating to watch, these expert competitors compete with their blood, sweat, and tears to win the Golden Shears.

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What Countries Took Home Gold?

Over the three days of competition, both individual and team champions were crowned. Individual World Champion results included shearers from Wales, South Africa, and Scotland. Team World Champions hailed from Wales and South Africa. Surprisingly, New Zealand failed to medal for the first time since 1977.

Have you ever attended a shearing competition? Let us know in the comments below!