SHEARING and wool handling competition followers can monitor trans-Tasman and national selection events at the 2019 Australian titles in Dubbo on a number of Facebook sites from 4.30pm today and over the weekend.
Sports Shear Australia secretary Stephanie Brooker-Jones said livestreams, photographs and results are expected to be done on the Facebook sites of the Dubbo Regional Council, and the Sports Shear branches in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, or the national SSA site.
Videos and photographs are also expected to be uploaded to the Shearing Sports New Zealand Facebook site.
“We are just doing the Dubbo competitions today and the trans-Tasman events are on in the late afternoon,” Ms Brooker-Jones said.
She said it was a positive practice and training day yesterday, with visits from local and national newspaper and television outlets.
“There is a real buzz.
“This is the first time we’ve run the trans-Tasman events on the Friday night (rather than Saturday), because it is a premier event for both countries.”
Sports Shear Australia president Tom Kelly said the first trans-Tasman event at from about 4.30pm will be the blade shearing, with all events concluded by 5.30pm.
South Australian blade shearers John Dalla and Victorian Ken French will be out to avenge their defeat at the NZ Golden Shears in March at the blades of the Kiwis, Allan Oldfield, of Geraldine, and world champion Tony Dobbs, of Fairlie.
In the next event, the New Zealand wool handling team of Pagan Karauria, of Alexandra, and Sheree Alabaster, of Taihape, will be up against Rachael Hutchison from Gilgandra, NSW, and Mel Morris, from Cressy, Tasmania. They will handle three crossbred and Merino fleeces.
In the final Friday event, Australia’s machine shearing team consists of reigning and four-times Australian champion Daniel McIntyre, of Glenn Innes, NSW, Cobram shearer Jason Wingfield, Western Australian shearer Callum O’Brien. They will be up against New Zealand’s team of Nathan Stratford, of Invercargill, Paerata Abraham, of Masterton, and currently Canterbury-based Troy Pyper, from Invercargill. The shearers will shear six crossbreds, and six Merinos from the Mudford family’s Parkdale Merino stud at Dubbo.
“I think they are good shearing Merinos,” Ms Brooker-Jones said.
On Saturday, the Australian shearers and wool handlers will compete in events for national team selection for the next world titles in Scotland in 2022.
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