AUSTRALIAN champion shearer Jason Wingfield backed up last year’s win at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show, returning this year to take out the open title on Saturday.
Mr Wingfield was the clear favourite, being part of the Australian team recently competing in Ireland at the World Shearing and Wool Handling Championships.
He also competed recently in the Trans-Tasman team.
Described as the man everyone wants to beat, the current Australian champion will also be competing today (Sunday) in the State Shearing Championships.
Saturday’s competition was intense, with a learner shearer’s competition kicking off the day and a wool handlers’ competition running throughout the day.
The sheer excitement of Dayne West commentating the racing throughout Saturday – apart from when he competed in his own open shearing heat – kept the large crowd of spectators entertained.
From seven competitors, Adam Bryant took out the Learner shearer competition with a strong performance.
Mr Bryant has been shearing for three months, following in the footsteps of his father.
He placed first, in front of the only woman shearer competing throughout the day, Leearna Cook.
Third place went to Tyrone Aorden.
A smooth performance from Lee Harris, who has been shearing for three years and works interstate and internationally, saw him take out the Intermediate shearer event.
Mr Harris told Stock & Land shearing has provided him with a lot of opportunities to travel and work.
“Shearing competitions take it to another level, and a lot of my work has come about from competing – where contractors have seen me,” Mr Harris said.
Second in the intermediate event was Clint Atkinson, with Jack Glover in third place.
There were five heats for competitors to qualify for the Senior Shearer contest.
In a hard fought contest, Cory Collins took out first place in the Senior Shearer event, ahead of Aaron Hope in second and Jarrod Beatt third.
The Open Shearer event was held over seven heats and two semi-finals.
Of the eight men who qualified for the semi-finals, Mr Wingfield was ranked third at the end of the first round of competition, although with the fastest time.
Steven Rigby was ranked first, Glen Stephens second and Rocky Wegner fourth.
The remaining four semi-finalists were Brian Wallden, Dan Mraz, Roger Mifsud and Brian Sullivan.
Mr Wingfield cleaned up his technique in his semi-final, to compete in the final against Rigby, Mraz and Stephens.
Shearers are penalised for time taken, cuts, second-cuts (where the wool is not cut clean to the skin and has to be reshorn), placement of the sheep and wool left on the sheep, among other points deducted.
Each shearer had to shear eight sheep in the open final.
Mr Wingfield led the field from the first, finishing his first sheep in less than two minutes and shearing his last sheep well ahead of the pack; his final tally was 69.40 points.
Mr Rigby was in second place, on 74 points; Mr Mraz was third on 76.95 points.
There was also excitement among the wool handling competition.
Australian wool handling champion Sarah Moran was against strong competitors in the Open Wool Handling event.
Ms Moran was eventually beaten narrowly by Sophie Cameron who scored well all day.
In third place was Natalie Chilcott.
Among the other events, Clare Price won the Senior Wool Handling competition and Kimberley Buckett won the Novice Wool Handling.
