Options Open For Shears Entertainment

Options Open For Shears Entertainment

With the excitement of last year's 50^th anniversary event still fresh in the air, the 2011 Golden Shears International Shearing Competition got off to an electric start early this morning at Masterton's War Memorial Stadium.

As always, the event is drawing its fair share of attention from across New Zealand and the globe. Entries have come in this year from throughout the UK and Australia as well as Japan and South Africa. And while tickets have sold out for several events, enthusiasts from as far as Brazil have been grabbing their places in the spectator’s stands.

Shears' organisers are also ensuring no one misses out by again offering live web-casts of various events, all of which can be accessed on the Golden Shears official website: _www.goldenshears.co.nz_.

Another gage of the events popularity has, over the past few years, been online betting with the TAB. The Shears' most coveted event, the Open Shearing Final, has already been drawing in bets for several years.

Added hype around last year's 50^th anniversary event then presented a perfect platform for the TAB to open up stakes for a wider range of events. TAB shearing bookie Kieran McAnulty said the hugely positive reaction to that development has meant many of those extra options are available again this year.

“We have to seek permission from a national body before we give options on a new sport and one of the conditions, if the bid is successful, is that the sport then receives a percentage of all earnings,” Kieran said.

“We took in more money than ever last year (on shearing) which is great news for the sport because they benefit as well.”

The books will be open this year for several of the Shears' major events including the Trans-Tasman Test and the PGG Wrightson National Circuit finals. The TAB will also be offering bets on who will be the Open Woolhandling champion. And as usual, said Kieran, Saturday night's Open Shearing Final is expected to draw the greatest attention.

“Last year Johnny Kirkpatrick opened as favourite and it looks like he's going to do the same this year. But competition is going to be pretty tight,” he reported.

“We've taken a lot of money on Jason Win – he opened in the 60s (odds) and is now down in the 20s. Roland Smith is another one – he opened in the 40s and is now in 15s.

“But there's plenty of tough competition out there. Once again it looks like we’re in for some major excitement on the final night”.

Kieran said the TAB will also be offering head to head options in the final between the three favourites: Kirkpatrick, Ferguson and Fagan.

Golden Shears organisers have also teamed up with the TAB this year to open an on-site TAB terminal in ‘The Catching Pen’, an aptly named marquee located across the road from the War Memorial Stadium.

Admission to the marquee is just $5 and users will also be able to able to watch events live on the big screen. The tent will also house a hospitality bar and Golden Shears president Mavis Mullins said plans are in place to have live commentary in the marquee during some of the bigger events.

ENDS

© Scoop Media