Shear magic as contest to return

The prestigious world shearing championships will be held at the Royal Welsh Show in 2010 - bringing the competition to Wales for only the second time in its history.

The world's leading shearers will converge on the showground at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, to battle it out for the coveted title, currently held by Australian Shannon Warnest, who won it in 2005.

As many as 20 national teams from countries around the globe will be taking part and Wales will be hoping to claim the championships for the first time since the world contest was introduced at the Royal Bath & West bi-centenary show in 1977.

The Golden Shears world championships were last staged in Wales in 1994 when the top individual award went to New Zealander Alan McDonald.

Plans are already in progress for the 2010 championships at Llanelwedd for which the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society's shearing committee has chosen the slogan: "Royal Welsh Shear Magic 2010".

Sponsorship is now being sought.

Wales has not yet produced a champion, although John I Davies, from Presteigne, came fourth in Western Australia in 1986 and John T L Davies, from Brecon, came sixth in 1988 when the contest took place in New Zealand.

The shearing section is already one of the main attractions at the Royal Welsh Show, which hosts the largest shearing competitions in the UK, where more than 300 shearers compete.