The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Shear delight over big event
As excitement mounts ahead of Scotsheep, Scotland’s sheep industry event of the year on June 1, shearers are invited to pre-enter the day’s quickshear competition.
Final preparations for Scotsheep are taking place at Over Finlarg farm at Tealing, where the full-day event is being hosted by well-known livestock breeders Robert and Hazel McNee.
The shearing competition is open to all shearers, with two competitors at a time shearing a sheep against the clock.
The four fastest competitors will then be judged not only on time, but also on the presentation of the sheep, and they will enter a semi-final followed by a final.
Willy Millar, chairman of the Scotsheep organising committee, said: “This is an exciting addition to our programme of events for Scotsheep, which I’m sure will attract plenty of buzz on the day.
“I would like to encourage all shearers to get their entries in and sharpen those shears before shearing season gets under way.”
All competitors will receive a branded shearing singlet and the winner will receive an engraved rose bowl and £100, with the runner-up receiving £75 and the two losing semifinalists £50 each.
Those interested must pre-register with their name, mobile number and email address by contacting the event organiser Euan Emslie at euanemslie053@ gmail.com or 07902 540985.
They will also need to pre-purchase a ticket for the event.
The competition, which is being sponsored by the Blackface Sheep Breeders Association, British Wool, Luing Cattle Society, Scottish Woodlands Ltd, Scruffy Dog Cider and TagFaster/ Datamars UK is free to enter, with the first 30 entries accepted.
Alongside various other workshops, demonstrations and seminars, visitors will have the opportunity to watch 10-minute sheep shearing demonstrations on the hour from 10am to 2pm.
British Wool, one of the event’s mainline sponsors, will have a stand situated in the shearing building and will be giving tips from experienced staff on how to present excellent fleeces and how to maximise the value of wool.
For more information visit www.scotsheep.org.uk