It’s another huge weekend for Alexandra as 150 shearers and woolhandlers take part in the NZ Merino Shearing and Woolhandling Championships at Molyneux park stadium (September 30 - October 1).

Now in its 61st year, the event is the only national merino shearing woolhandling championship and the first held each season. 

This year also marks 50 years of the McSkimming Memorial Triple Crown trophy, launched in Alexandra in 1972. 

New Zealand Merino Shearing Society president Lane McSkimming said his grandad's trophy would be on display during the show.

Excitement was building for entrants and friends and family support crews, he said.

“We’re setting up and competitors are practicing now, getting their gear all set up.” 

Sheep at Northburn Station being mustered for the New Zealand Merino Shearing and Woolhandling Championships this weekend

The trophy is a solid silver crown inlaid with gold and referred to as the ‘Ironman’ event of New Zealand shearing; the purpose of the crown is to find the country’s top shearer across all six types of sheep on the national circuit of events.

The weekend is merino and the ‘fine wool’ stage, the first on the circuit. 

Some big names in shearing will feature, including former world champions Nathan Stratford and Joel Henare, the winners of two major titles at the NZ Merino Shearing Championships last year. 

Nathan, from Invercargill, claimed the NZ Merino Shears Open shearing title for a fifth time, and Joel, from Gisborne, won the Open wool handling final for the fourth time.

Australia-based Kiwi shearing legend Samson Te Whata also returns to Alexandra, and heads up an Australian Aboriginal contingent.

A four-time winner of the New Zealand fine wool shearing championship (1980-82 and 1985), the veteran is returning to be a part of the face off against a NZ Merino shears team chosen during the Shears. 

The indigenous team includes two young shearers and two young woolhandlers, who've been in the industry just a few months.

Lane said having the indigenous team here was “quite a special historic moment”.

“No first nations indigenous team has ever left Australian shores for something like this.”

The weekend’s action includes Open and Senior Shearing; Open, Senior, Junior and Novice Woolhandling; Teams event; Smokefree teddy bear shear and NZ Merino Shears Team versus First Nation Indigenous team event. 

Last year's event was closed to audiences due to Covid-19 protocols, so organisers were happy to welcome back the Central community this year.

Lane said spectators are welcome to attend: Friday’s events start at 8am and there is no cover charge for Friday, Friday night or Saturday.

The highlight will be the NZ Merino Open Shearing and Woolhandling finals and the teams finals, after the president's welcome on Saturday evening from 7pm. The door charge for Saturday night is $10. 

“It can get quite packed… there will be coffee caravans… it’s family friendly. The high school is coming to watch woolhandling tomorrow.”

Both the winner and runner-up in this weekend’s Open woolhandling final will represent New Zealand in the Transtasman series tests in Australia three weeks later.

Shearing Sports New Zealand will send a team of three machine shearers, two woolhandlers and two blades shearers for the tests during the Australian shearing and Wool handling Championships in Bendigo, on October 21 - 22.

They will be the first tests since New Zealand won the machine shearing and woolhandling tests at the Golden Shears in Masterton in March 2020, just prior to the first lockdown and border closure to stop the spread of Covid-19.

This 2022/2023 season approximately 60 shearing and woolhandling competitions will be held throughout Aotearoa with the last at Easter 2023.

Are you attending the Shears? Send in your photos and highlight from the weekend via email: [email protected]