Canterbury Shears Gets The Go-ahead

The Canterbury Shears’ national Corriedale shearing and woolhandling championships will definitely go ahead in November, despite the Canterbury A and P Society decision to not go ahead with the New Zealand Agricultural Show.

New shears committee chairman Jonathon Carden-Holdstock, a Banks Peninsula cattle farmer and former show operations manager, confirmed the decision to proceed with the championships, on November 14-15, the Thursday and Friday of the traditional show week.

The decision was made unanimously at a committee meeting subject to completion of some arrangements and the committee has now expressed its appreciation to a range of sponsors who are enabling it to happen.

The woolhandling titles are expected to be decided on the Thursday and the shearing on the Friday, which also includes the third round of the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit, with a sponsorship family including the circuit partnership, shearing gear suppliers Acto Agiculture and Lister, the New Zealand Corriedale Breeders Association, shearing contractor Pullin Shearing, Yaldhurst Wools, Ellesmere Transport, accountants Leech and Partners, funeral directors Lamb and Hayward, sheep suppliers Marble Point Station, farming supplies company and Canterbury Shearing Circuit sponsor Donaghys, and shearing promoter Southern Series Shearing,

The A and P society decided in mid-April it would not stage its show this year, but shearing and some other sections have since been working towards still going ahead with their events.

The shearing competition decision is another show of the resilience which enabled the championships to be held twice during show cancellations in the Covid-19 crisis, including once at Marble Point Station, near Hanmer Springs.

Shearing Sports New Zealand chairman Sir David Fagan said that with the Canterbury Shears committee having shown the determination to successfully stage the championships previously in times of crisis he was “always confident” the event would happen again in 2024. It will be the 57th Canterbury Shears.

The decision means that 59 shows will be held in the 2024-2025 Shearing Sports New Zealand season, which could feature the early stage of New Zealand team selection processes ahead of the next World Championships, to be held at the Golden Shears in Masterton on March 4-7, 2026.

More than two thirds of the events are at A and P Shows.

The 2024-2025 Shearing Sports New Zealand competitions schedule is:

October 4-5 (Fri-Sat): NZ Merino Shears, at Alexandra.

October 11-12 (Fri-Sat): NZ Spring Shears, at Waimate.

October 19 (Saturday): Poverty Bay A and P Show, at Gisborne; Ellesmere A and P Show, at Leeston.

October 25-27 (Fri-Sun): Australian National Championships and Transtasman tests, at Katanning, W.A.

October 25 (Friday): Great Raihania Shears, at Hawke’s Bay A and P Show, Hastings.

October 26 (Saturday): Northern A and P Show, at Rangiora.

November 2 (Saturday): Manawatu A and P Show, at Manfeild (Feilding); Ashburton A and P Show, at Ashburton.

November 3 (Sunday): Wairarapa A and P Show, at Clareville (Carterton).

November 9 (Saturday): Central Hawke’s Bay A and P Show, at Waipukurau; Marlborough A and P Show, at Blenheim; Get to the Point Gymkhana Shears, at Pleasant Point.

November 14-15 (Thu-Fri): New Zealand Corriedale Championships, at NZ Agricultural Show, Canterbury Agricultural Park, Christchurch.

November 23 (Saturday): West Otago A and P Show, at Tapanui; Nelson A and P Show, at Richmond Park (Nelson).

November 30 (Saturday): Taranaki Shears, at Stratford A and P Show.

December 7 (Saturday): Whangarei A and P Show, at Whangarei; Geyserland Agrodome Shears, Rotorua A and P Show, at Ngongotaha.

January 11 (Saturday): Peninsula Duvauchelle Shears, at Duvauchelle.

January 17 (Friday): Northern Southland Community Shears (NZ Full wool championships), at Lumsden; Wairoa A and P Show Speedshear

January 18 (Saturday): Kaikohe A, P and H Show, at Kaikohe; Wairoa A and P Show, at Wairoa; Golden Bay A and P Show, at Takaka; Southland Shears (New Zealand Crossbred Lambs Championships), at Winton A and P Show.

January 19 (Sunday): Horowhenua A, P and I Show, at Levin.

January 25 (Saturday): Taihape A and P Show, Taihape; Tapawera Shears, Tapawera.

January 31 (Friday): Dannevirke A and P Show, at Dannevirke.

February 1 (Saturday): North Kaipara A and P Show, at Paparoa; Rangitikei Shearing Sports, at Marton; Reefton Shears, Inangahua A and P Show, at Reefton.

February 5 (Wednesday): Aria Cosmopolitan Club Speedshear.

February 6 (Thursday): Aria Waitangi Day Sports, at Aria.

February 8 (Saturday): Northern Wairoa A and P Show, at Arapohue (Dargaville); Te Puke A and P Show, at Te Puke; Otago Shears, at Balclutha.

February 14-15 (Fri-Sat): Southern Shears, at Gore.

February 15 (Saturday): North Hokianga A and P Show, at Broadwood; Ohura A and P Show, at Ohura; Murchison A and P Show, at Murchison.

February 16 (Sunday): Counties Shears, at Pukekohe.

February 21 (Friday): Taumarunui Shears, at Hikurangi Station, Taumarunui.

February 22 (Saturday): Apiti Sports, at Apiti; Kaikoura A and P Show, at Kaikoura.

February 23 (Sunday): Pahiatua Shears, at Mangaone Valley, Pahiatua.

February 25 (Tuesday): Hawke’s Bay Autumn Shears.

February 26 (Wed): Wairarapa Pre-Shears Woolhandling, at Mikimiki, Masterton.

February 27-March 1 (Thu-Sat): Golden Shears International Championships, at Masterton.

March 1 (Saturday): Amuri A and P Show, at Rotherham.

March 8 (Saturday): Kumeu A and H Show, at Kumeu; Cheviot A and P Show, at Cheviot; Mayfield A and P Show, at Mayfield.

March 15 (Saturday): Warkworth A and P Show, at Warkworth; Waimarino Shears, at Raetihi; Methven Lamb Shears, at Methven A and P Show.

March 22 (Saturday): Waitomo Caves Sports, at Waitomo.

March 23 (Sunday): Flaxbourne A and P Show, at Ward.

March 27-29 (Thurs-Sat): New Zealand Shears, at Te Kuiti.

March 29 (Saturday): Oxford A and P Show, at Oxford.

April 21 (Monday): Mackenzie A and P Show (NZ Lambshearing Championships), at Fairlie.

The Canterbury Shears’ national Corriedale shearing and woolhandling championships will definitely go ahead in November, despite the Canterbury A and P Society decision to not go ahead with the New Zealand Agricultural Show.

New shears committee chairman Jonathon Carden-Holdstock, a Banks Peninsula cattle farmer and former show operations manager, confirmed the decision to proceed with the championships, on November 14-15, the Thursday and Friday of the traditional show week.

The decision was made unanimously at a committee meeting subject to completion of some arrangements and the committee has now expressed its appreciation to a range of sponsors who are enabling it to happen.

The woolhandling titles are expected to be decided on the Thursday and the shearing on the Friday, which also includes the third round of the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit, with a sponsorship family including the circuit partnership, shearing gear suppliers Acto Agiculture and Lister, the New Zealand Corriedale Breeders Association, shearing contractor Pullin Shearing, Yaldhurst Wools, Ellesmere Transport, accountants Leech and Partners, funeral directors Lamb and Hayward, sheep suppliers Marble Point Station, farming supplies company and Canterbury Shearing Circuit sponsor Donaghys, and shearing promoter Southern Series Shearing,

The A and P society decided in mid-April it would not stage its show this year, but shearing and some other sections have since been working towards still going ahead with their events.

The shearing competition decision is another show of the resilience which enabled the championships to be held twice during show cancellations in the Covid-19 crisis, including once at Marble Point Station, near Hanmer Springs.

Shearing Sports New Zealand chairman Sir David Fagan said that with the Canterbury Shears committee having shown the determination to successfully stage the championships previously in times of crisis he was “always confident” the event would happen again in 2024. It will be the 57th Canterbury Shears.

The decision means that 59 shows will be held in the 2024-2025 Shearing Sports New Zealand season, which could feature the early stage of New Zealand team selection processes ahead of the next World Championships, to be held at the Golden Shears in Masterton on March 4-7, 2026.

More than two thirds of the events are at A and P Shows.

The 2024-2025 Shearing Sports New Zealand competitions schedule is:

October 4-5 (Fri-Sat): NZ Merino Shears, at Alexandra.

October 11-12 (Fri-Sat): NZ Spring Shears, at Waimate.

October 19 (Saturday): Poverty Bay A and P Show, at Gisborne; Ellesmere A and P Show, at Leeston.

October 25-27 (Fri-Sun): Australian National Championships and Transtasman tests, at Katanning, W.A.

October 25 (Friday): Great Raihania Shears, at Hawke’s Bay A and P Show, Hastings.

October 26 (Saturday): Northern A and P Show, at Rangiora.

November 2 (Saturday): Manawatu A and P Show, at Manfeild (Feilding); Ashburton A and P Show, at Ashburton.

November 3 (Sunday): Wairarapa A and P Show, at Clareville (Carterton).

November 9 (Saturday): Central Hawke’s Bay A and P Show, at Waipukurau; Marlborough A and P Show, at Blenheim; Get to the Point Gymkhana Shears, at Pleasant Point.

November 14-15 (Thu-Fri): New Zealand Corriedale Championships, at NZ Agricultural Show, Canterbury Agricultural Park, Christchurch.

November 23 (Saturday): West Otago A and P Show, at Tapanui; Nelson A and P Show, at Richmond Park (Nelson).

November 30 (Saturday): Taranaki Shears, at Stratford A and P Show.

December 7 (Saturday): Whangarei A and P Show, at Whangarei; Geyserland Agrodome Shears, Rotorua A and P Show, at Ngongotaha.

January 11 (Saturday): Peninsula Duvauchelle Shears, at Duvauchelle.

January 17 (Friday): Northern Southland Community Shears (NZ Full wool championships), at Lumsden; Wairoa A and P Show Speedshear

January 18 (Saturday): Kaikohe A, P and H Show, at Kaikohe; Wairoa A and P Show, at Wairoa; Golden Bay A and P Show, at Takaka; Southland Shears (New Zealand Crossbred Lambs Championships), at Winton A and P Show.

January 19 (Sunday): Horowhenua A, P and I Show, at Levin.

January 25 (Saturday): Taihape A and P Show, Taihape; Tapawera Shears, Tapawera.

January 31 (Friday): Dannevirke A and P Show, at Dannevirke.

February 1 (Saturday): North Kaipara A and P Show, at Paparoa; Rangitikei Shearing Sports, at Marton; Reefton Shears, Inangahua A and P Show, at Reefton.

February 5 (Wednesday): Aria Cosmopolitan Club Speedshear.

February 6 (Thursday): Aria Waitangi Day Sports, at Aria.

February 8 (Saturday): Northern Wairoa A and P Show, at Arapohue (Dargaville); Te Puke A and P Show, at Te Puke; Otago Shears, at Balclutha.

February 14-15 (Fri-Sat): Southern Shears, at Gore.

February 15 (Saturday): North Hokianga A and P Show, at Broadwood; Ohura A and P Show, at Ohura; Murchison A and P Show, at Murchison.

February 16 (Sunday): Counties Shears, at Pukekohe.

February 21 (Friday): Taumarunui Shears, at Hikurangi Station, Taumarunui.

February 22 (Saturday): Apiti Sports, at Apiti; Kaikoura A and P Show, at Kaikoura.

February 23 (Sunday): Pahiatua Shears, at Mangaone Valley, Pahiatua.

February 25 (Tuesday): Hawke’s Bay Autumn Shears.

February 26 (Wed): Wairarapa Pre-Shears Woolhandling, at Mikimiki, Masterton.

February 27-March 1 (Thu-Sat): Golden Shears International Championships, at Masterton.

March 1 (Saturday): Amuri A and P Show, at Rotherham.

March 8 (Saturday): Kumeu A and H Show, at Kumeu; Cheviot A and P Show, at Cheviot; Mayfield A and P Show, at Mayfield.

March 15 (Saturday): Warkworth A and P Show, at Warkworth; Waimarino Shears, at Raetihi; Methven Lamb Shears, at Methven A and P Show.

March 22 (Saturday): Waitomo Caves Sports, at Waitomo.

March 23 (Sunday): Flaxbourne A and P Show, at Ward.

March 27-29 (Thurs-Sat): New Zealand Shears, at Te Kuiti.

March 29 (Saturday): Oxford A and P Show, at Oxford.

April 21 (Monday): Mackenzie A and P Show (NZ Lambshearing Championships), at Fairlie.

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