Shearers return and new wool competition introduced for this year’s Staffordshire County Show

The Show, which attracts around 65,000 people, will become one of just four shows on the wool handling circuit of England as it introduces the competition this year. The British Isles Shearing Competitions Association event, one of 37 held annually in the UK, will also return.

Chief Sheep Shearing Steward Angela Cope said: “Sheep shearing and wool handling are now each considered to be a sport and the popularity of the sport is growing each year.

“The show committee is indebted to all the judges and stewards as well as to the sponsorship of Lister Shearing Equipment and the British Wool Marketing Board amongst many others. It really is quite a busy scene and the excitement builds throughout the day.

“Many of these shearers and wool handlers know each other having met on the circuit or whilst shearing in New Zealand or Australia and the competition can be fierce.

“Each shearer usually has his or her supporters in attendance, but we love it when the public get excited and shout for their preferred winner.

“We find people are truly amazed at the speed with which the wool is removed from the sheep in a professional and highly skilled manner.”

At the Staffordshire County Showground in Weston Road on Wednesday, May 30th, entrants will battle it out to be crowned the winner in either the junior, intermediate or senior sheep shearing and wool handling categories.

They will also collect points towards the English Shearer or English Wool Handler of the Year prizes.

The refurbished stand by N C Construction Ltd will be full of sheep loaned by Geoff Greaves from Drointon, near Uttoxeter, and prepared for the competition by shearing contractor John Froggatt.

The internationally-renowned Huw Condron will be commentating and local farmers and students from Reaseheath College are set to help out, with qualified judges attending from all over the UK.

Each competition has heats, semi-finals and a final while each shearer is timed and judged on the quality of shearing and the quality finish of the shorn sheep. Wool handlers will be marked on collecting the wool from the stand, handling it on special tables and presenting the final fleece.

The following day (May 31st) demonstrations by John Froggatt and Jan Coker will take place, with commentary by Angela Cope.

There are also demonstrations of felting, spinning and weaving on both days of the Show and visitors can have a go.

Richard Williams, Chief Executive of the Staffordshire and Birmingham Agricultural Society, said the sheep shearing is always a very popular attraction at the annual

County Show.

He said: “We are delighted that the sheep shearing will be back again this year. Agriculture is at the heart of our show and this is a large part of what people are interested in.

“As this is a family event during half term we also get a lot of young children seeing shearing for the first time and they are amazed at what people can do in such a short space of time.

“It is a huge benefit to our show to have sheep shearing here.”

This year’s Staffordshire County Show will also include Main Ring performances by the JCB Dancing Diggers and The Rockwood Dog Display Team, among other attractions.

Tickets go on sale online from April 1. For more information about the Show and sponsorship packages available, visit the website www.staffscountyshowground.co.uk.

For more information on how to enter, rules and prize money for the sheep shearing and wool handling competitions visit www.staffscountyshowground.co.uk/schedules

and www.britishwool.org.uk/newsclip.