The shearing auditorium at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show will be nearly silent on the first day of competition, except for the enthralling sound of clicking shears.
The blade shearing event will return for the second consecutive year, with the traditional blade shear competition attracting double the amount of entries on last year’s inaugural event.
“The silence is exciting – there is no sound of a machine, just the clicking of the blades,” Northern Shears vice president Paul McCormick said.
People travel far and wide to see the method of traditional hand shearing which is growing into one of the shows most attended events.
Blade shearers are judged on their speed, precision and cleanliness of shear, with last year’s top speeds within three minutes per sheep.
“It is an iconic skill of the sheep industry and Bendigo being the sheep and wool showcase it is, people love seeing the blade shearing,” he said. “It is the original icon of the industry.”