Live streaming of sheep shearing during Champs

Media Release 1 April, 2009

Live streaming of sheep shearing during NZ Shearing Champs
in Te Kuiti

Followers of sheep shearing world-wide will be able to watch the New Zealand Shearing Championships during a live internet streaming video of the event from Te Kuiti this weekend.

This means supporters of the United Kingdom and Australian teams competing in the event – as well as New Zealanders right around the country can watch the action anytime during the day from approximately 10am New Zealand time on Friday 3rd April and Saturday 4th April.

By logging on to the Waitomo District Council’s website www.waitomo.govt.nz with a high speed internet connection, they will be able to enjoy such events as the speed shearing championships where sheep will be shorn in as little as 20 seconds!

The councils is also hoping to live stream its world-famous Scanda “Running of the Sheep” event where around 2000 sheep will be let loose down the main street of Te Kuiti at 2pm on Saturday, April 4, says the council’s event coordinator, Debie Glover.

“As the largest urban Running of the Sheep in the world, six truckloads of Romney ewes will be let loose for a one kilometre dash past thousands of visitors and locals attending the one-day Great New Zealand Muster event,” says Debie.

Taking half-an-hour of wooly mayhem to complete, the sheep will have an added obstacle of a giant arched wooden bridge to run over half-way down Rora St. – enabling visitors to try and count the correct number of sheep and be in to win a host of prizes.

Former All Black full back Glen Osborne will be a celebrity during the event trying his hand to shear one of the sheep with a human powered set of shears.

As part of the three-day New Zealand Shearing Championships, the one-day event has all the trappings of a Kiwi country town fair. There’ll be live music and performances on a central stage, a record number of arts & crafts and food stalls and amusement rides for children and adults.

Ends

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