2025 GO LDENSHEARS
WorldPremier
Shearing &WoolHandling Championship
THUR 27 FEB FRI28FEB SAT1 MAR
WARMEMORIAL STADIUM, 2DIXON ST,MASTERTON
Welcome to Golden Shears2025
Trish Stevens,President of Golden Shears, welcomes the region andbeyondto Masterton’sGolden Shears2025, to be held from Thursday 27 FebruarytoSaturday 1March 2025.
“Masterton’sGolden Shears is thecentreofthe shearing world, involvedinthe creation of aWorld Council and giving its name to the World Shearing andWool Handling Championships thatare held everyfew years, including in
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Francein2019 and Edinburgh in 2023.”
As well as bringing Wairarapa’s community, the country, and the worldtogether through shearing and the wool industry, Masterton’sGolden Shears brings millions of dollars into the Wairarapa region every timeitisheld
New Zealand shearers are among the fastest in the worldand areconsidered elite athleteswith their high level of fitness and well-toned muscles from the hard, physical labour –thatapplies to both the men and the increasing number of women shearers,woolhandlers and woolpressers
Women areincreasingly taking on significantgovernance roles in the Golden Shears, too. This year,for example, the executiveteam comprises Trish Stevens(President), Anna Waddell(Secretary), and Rachel McDonald (Treasurer). And volunteers from the community and colleges include women and girls.
Trish says,“we’relooking forwardtoanother greatevent in 2025, with entries in all disciplines on par with 2024’s record numbers.A steady stream of entries arecoming in daily,with international competitors already entered from England,Scotland,
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Mongolia, Wales and Australia. Andwe’ve had ahuge number of noviceentries,which bodes well forthe futureof Golden Shears.”
Afew Mongolian shearers arecurrently working in New Zealand and most,ifnot all,will enterthe competition. There’salso the expectation of aMongolian team subsequently entering into the WorldChamps,tobeheld in Mastertonin2026.
Trish givesthanks to all the Golden Shears sponsors, volunteers,community members,and local schools forthe supportshown over decades to this iconic event.
Trish is alreadyworking with them to set up Masterton’s WorldChamps in 2026.
Turn to page 18 of this
Featurefor moreabout the 2026 World Champs
Trish Stevens, President of Golden Shears
Golden Shears 2025 Programme
Thursday 27 February
ALL DAY7.45AM
Wool Pressing womens,men’s,pairs
MORNING 7.45am
NoviceWool Handling Heats
Junior Wool Handling Heats
NoviceWool Handling Semi-Final
NoviceShearing Heats
NoviceWool Handling Final Presentation
AFTERNOON 12.50pm (approx)
StudentShearing Challenge Final
Junior Shearing Heats
NoviceShearing Semi-Final
Intermediate Shearing Heats
NoviceShearing Final
EVENING 6.40PM (approx)
Senior Speed Shear
Teddy Bear Shear
Open Speed Shear Presentations
Friday 28 February
MORNING 7.45AM
Wool Pressing
Men’sSemi-Final Pairs Final
Women’s Final
Men’sFinal
Senior Wool Handling Heats
Open Wool Handling Heats
Senior Shearing Heats
AFTERNOON 1.10pm (approx)
Open Wool Handling Top20
Open Shearing Heats
EVENING 6.40pm (approx)
Open Shearing Top30
Senior Shearing Semi-Final Presentations
Trans-Tasman Wool Handling Test
Women’s Invitation Shearing Final Presentations
Saturday 1 March
MORNING7.45AM
Junior Wool Handling Semi-Final
Senior Wool Handling Semi-Final
Junior Shearing Semi-Final
Intermediate Shearing Semi-Final
Regional Challenge Shearing Final
National Shearing Circuit Semi-Final
NIWC Wool Handling Final
AFTERNOON 12.50pm (approx)
Junior Wool Handling Final
Senior Wool Handling Final
Junior Shearing Final
Intermediate Shearing Final Presentations
Senior Shearing Final
Open Wool Handling Semi-Final
Open Shearing Semi-Final
EVENING 6.40pm
National Shearing Circuit Final
Māori/Pakeha Team Shearing Final Presentations
Trans-Tasman Shearing Test
Open Wool Handling Final
Open Shearing Final Presentations
2025 GO LDENSHEARS
THUR 27 FEB FRI28FEB SAT1 MAR
Decades of Armidale Merinos at Golden Shears
Otago’s ArmidaleMerino Stud has a solidhistory of going the extramile to support Masterton’sGolden Shears, stretching back to 1996.
AllanPaterson,fourth generation owner of Armidale, is ashearerofnotewho has competed at Golden Shears and even judged at the competitionafew times.He supports the competition however he can.
In 2004, Allanwas returning from Golden Shears with his friend Justin Miekle and they were worrying about thefact thatithad been awet year -the wethers thatArmidale hadgrazedinWairarapa and supplied to the competition, hadn’t handled it.They hatched aplantodothings differently
Ever since, Armidale has purchased about 130 merino wethers from Otematata Station each November,carried them fornearly 18 months, then transported110 of them to Golden Shears justintime forthe event. ForAllan and his son Simon,who now owns Armidale,it’sall about giving back to an industrythey both love
Simon Paterson says “providing sheep to Golden Shears has little benefit forthe Stud from afinancial pointofview, but there’sahuge benefit to the industryasawhole for
INSPIRING FUTUREFARMERS
Wairarapa College is proud to be educating thenext generation. Our renowned Agriculture Department is led byateam of passionate educatorsand mentors and is equipped with some of the best facilitiesfor secondary agricultural learninginthe country.The inclusive programme welcomes students from awide range of backgrounds to exploreacareer in farming. Contact principal@waicol.nz for atourofour school.
supporting Golden Shearsour merinos help to make the competition morefascinating to watch andfairer (more even) forthe shearers.”
Over the years,manyofthe shearers thathavemade the final of the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Circuit have shornatArmidale,in appreciation of Armidale’s supportofthe industry. Simon says he appreciatesthe fact that “top shearers come here to shear.”
Therole of Armidale in supporting Golden Shears aligns with the ethos of the
competitionasawhole -it’sall about community, pitching in, giving back,and celebrating alifestyle and an industry thathas been, and remains, importanttoNew Zealand “Competitions such as Golden Shears demand quality,which is also importanttousat Armidale. We want to supply the best wool we can to our consumers.The shearers and woolhanders playanimportant partinthatprocess,”Simon says.“So long as our merino are needed,and so long as we can stillsource them, we will send them up to Golden Shears.”
Allan Paterson (left) and son Simon Paterson with some of Armidale’s merinos
Following involvementin Golden Shears,the value of Armidale merino’s fleecesand carcasses comes back to the Station, so the sheep don’t needtobetransportedback.
Allan plans to be at Golden Shearsin2025, and he and Simon arekeen to come upin2026 forthe World Champs.EvenSimon’s two boys -potentially the sixth generation at Armidale Stud -are fascinatedbyshearing and all things relatedtosheep and beef farming.The future of merinoisingood hands
Heiniger getsinbehindGolden Shears
Heiniger,with its significant international presence in the provision of quality shearing equipment, has stepped up to sponsor Masterton’sGolden Shears.
KevinThirkell,Heiniger New Zealand’sNational Sales Managerfor over a decade, says “the company is extremely pleased to be involved with Golden Shears.”
Established in the early 1940s in Switzerland,Heiniger has alwaysbeen afamily business. “Originally,the family was in thefruit business.Alocal farmer asked the Heiniger family to make something they could use to clip the hair ontheirdairycows, which arekept in shedsinEurope.A hand grinder wasingeniously convertedintoaclipper,and abusiness wasbornaround products forcutting animal hair.”
Thefirst Omega shearing handpiecemade by Heiniger waslaunched in the 1980s in
Heiniger supporterand 2015 Golden Shears winner,Gavin Mutch
New Zealand and Australia. Today, Heiniger is the world’s leading precision engineering companyspecialising in the production of tools to remove hair and fibre from animals.
Kevindescribes Heiniger as a market leader anda “onestop shop”for wool handling and animal fibre harvesting products
Heiniger’s parentcompanyis led by third-generation Daniel Heiniger,with its HQ based in Switzerland. Daniel retains a close association with New Zealand and Australia.
Kevinsays, “Heiniger has been around fora long period of timeinNew Zealand, alwaysfocused on improving
the quality, precision and performanceofits products.”
Thecompanyconducts its R&D through the testingand triallingofproducts by wellknownshearersthroughout New Zealand. It’s involved withother shearing events throughout the country, offering competitors the opportunitytoselectfrom awide range of Heiniger combs and cutters tailored to differentsheep types.At the Golden Shears 2025, some of Heiniger’s longtime supporters will be competing One supporter, Nathan Stratford, wonthe National Shearing Circuit at the Golden Shears in 2014, 2022 and
2024. Master Shearer Leon Samuels,who uses Heiniger products,isprofiledoverthe page.Hewon the Open Final and Merino Title at Golden Shears in 2024.
Theremarkable storyof another Heiniger supporter and 2025 competitor,David Buick,was profiled in the 2024 Golden Shears Feature. David went on to winatthe NZ Shearing Championships in 2024. Competitor Rowland Smithwon his eighth Golden Shears Open in 2023, representedNew Zealand at the WorldChamps in Scotland in 2023, and wonworld titles in 2014 and 2017.
Kevin says it’s an excitingtime forthe country’sshearing, with Golden Shears in Mastertonin2025, followed by the WorldChamps in Mastertonthe following year
“Representatives from Heiniger will be attending both events,and the Swiss team will also be therein 2026. Come and talk to any of us during theeventsabout howwecan supportyou with gear selection, at both a competitivelevel and at work everyday.”
2025 GO LDENSHEARS
Honouring LeonSamuels, shearing legend
Originally from Mangakino in the CentralNorth Island,Leon Samuels wasbroughtuponthe family farmonMatakana Island.“Isheared my first sheep when Iwas four or fiveyears old,” Leon says. “I loveditthen and Ihaven’t stopped lovingit: the hardwork, thephysicalityofit, the buzz.”
In his mid-teens,when Leon’s father died and Leon started getting into trouble,his mother packed him off to ashearing gang in the South Island.Bythe age of 17, he’d met Ngawai, the woman who wastobecome his wife, his biggest fan, and his staunch supporterinall things shearing.Channelling the singerCat Stevens (akaYusuf), Leon refers to her as a“strongheaded woman”.
He’s been shearing full-time for25years nowand reckons he could go another 20. “OrI might go another 10 and then do something different, but it would be hardfor anything else to matchthis,unless it wasin the shearing industry. I’dloveto be arecordconvenor,ortrain up young fellas -togiveback
to the industrythat’sgiven so much to me.I’d like to do more.”
Leon’s brother,JimmySamuels, is also acompetitiveshearer as well as anationally-ranked darts-player. Jimmyhas said thathewas introduced to shearing by Leon, taking up shearing full-timeaged 18 and regularly picking up wins in shearing competitions around the countryeversince.
Today, Leon has notched up 20 Open wins -16ofwhich have been in Shearing Sports New Zealand major-title events -and is the simultaneous holder of six national titles across four wool types.In August 2024, Leon was awarded Master Shearer status by Shearing Sports New Zealand.Heand fellow
legend David Buick arethe only twoshearers to be awarded the title since2017.
Leon generally starts the shearing season in January in centralOtago.ByApril or May, he’s oftenfound on the Australian shearing circuit for acouple of months.Although sometimes,asin2023,he’sin another countryduring this period while he competes in the WorldChamps.Then June-July is the pre-lamb season.
“2025isgoing to be full-on,”Leon says.Thereare nine shows he has to competein, leading up to the
WorldChamps: Gore,Masterton’s Golden Shears,TeKuiti Shears, Waimate SpringShears,Great RaihanainHawke’s Bay, the Lumsden Show, Winton Show, Taihape Shears,and then the Rangitikei Shearing Sports
Leon’s mentorand sometimes closecompetitor is Nathan Stratford. Leon says,“he taught me alot about shearing technique”. About adecade older than Leon, Nathan remains committed to international competitionand has his sights set on securing aspot in the 2026 WorldChampionships alongside his friend and colleague
April2024: Won NewZealand Lamb Shearing Championship, Mackenzie A&P Show, Fairlie.
March2024: Wonthe Golden ShearsMerino title and the Golden ShearsOpenFinal (first time since1983 for both to be wonbythe same person). Secured his spot in the 2026 Golden Shears World Champs
“
February2024: Won the Southern Shears Open in Gore and the Otago ShearsOpen in Balclutha.
2023: Represented NewZealandatthe WorldChampionships in Scotland and won the NewZealand ShearsOpenFinal
Startof2023/24
season: Wonthe New ZealandSpring Shears in Waimate and the NewZealandMerino Championships in Alexandra.
I’d love lovetobea record convenor,or train up young fellas -togivebacktothe industry that’s given so much to me. I’d like to do more.”
GOLDENSHEARS.CO.NZ
End of 2022/23
season: WonNZ Lambshearing Championships in Fairlie and the New Zealand Shears Open in Te Kuiti.
2021: Wonthe PGG Wrightson National Shearing Circuit and the NewZealand Shears Circuit,both in Te Kuiti.
2020: Wonthe Otago Shears Open RepresentedNew Zealand in twohomeand-awaytransTasman series
2017: Shorn in a successful eighthour shearing record attempt,with 605 ewes in asolo record
2013: Shorn in a successful eight hour shearing record attempt,with 648 lambs in afour-stand record
2025 GO LDENSHEARS
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Shining alight on thebackstage roles of Wairarapa school students atGolden Shears
Golden Shears is built on the contributions of its volunteersand crew,some of whom are retired and areaged even into their 90s, while others arestill in their teens
School studentsare critical to the success of the Golden Shears eventeachyear, but much of theirworkis carried out behind the scenes includingorganisingthousands of sheepand feeding hundreds of hungryshearers,crew, volunteers,and the crowd.
Wairarapa College
Wairarapa College has playeda big part in Golden Shears since Taratahishut its doors earlyin 2019. Head of agricultureand horticultureatthe school,Dan Grace, applauds the 50 plus Wairarapa College students
whostepupeach year.In2024, 58 students took partand Dan says thatfemales and males are equallyrepresented.
Thenatureofthe work carried out revolves around organising the sheep out the backinthe pens,combinedwith close collaboration withthe shearers Dan says,“the students get the pens loaded with the correct sheep foreach shearer prior to their event, and then hold the sheep forthe shearer ready for them to take them.Itmeans the shearer doesn’t have to wastetime and makes it an even playing field.”
Theworkisextremely physical, and requires total focus.“There aretwo to three students at each pen, and they work as a team. They need to provide the rightsheep in the rightorder and they can’t miss abeat.”
In the Trans-Tasman Shearing International Test,for example, the shearer needstoreceive from the students,inthe
correctorder,three each of the finewooled merino,fullwooled strongwools, coarse-wooled Corriedales,lambs, and secondshear sheep
Oncethe sheep have been shorn, the students tip the sheep forassessmentbythe judges who look forhow clean the shear is: marks aredocked for tassels of missed wool and any nicks.During the threedaysthe students areatGolden Shears (working in morning,afternoon and evening shifts),either Dan or his Associate Teacher,James O’Connor,are alwaysonsiteto supportthe students
“All the student’scontributions to Golden Shears arecarried out outside of school hours,” Dan says.“Their work absolutely givesback to the community, but also contributes credits to their practical unitstandards.” Handling livestock,especially sheep of differentvarieties with differentcharacteristics,is especially greatexperiencefor the unit standards.Half adozen Wairarapa College students also competeinthe shearing and wool handling events each year,particularly in the junior section. Andsome continue to competeafter they’ve leftschool
Wairarapa College students,PhotoSupplied.
Astaunch supporterofGolden Shears andthe role of students in it,Dan says the studentsare alwayslooked after. “They’re well fedand watered.”
Rathkeale College
About 20 Rathkeale College students volunteer each year at Golden Shears.Generally, students from Year 10 to 13 participate.Last year,however, Year 11 agriculturestudents volunteered at Golden Shears, as partofaclass field trip
Jesse Bird, AgricultreTeacher at Rathkeale College,says“our students typically help out behind the scenes. They tip and displaythe shornsheepfrom differentangles,tohelp the judges with their scoring.”The photoabove shows astudent displaying asheeptoRonnie King,Chief Judge at Golden Shears.“Some years,other
senior students from Rathkeale help out delivering food and clearing tables.”
Jesse says thatexperts from Golden Shears come out to Rathkeale to teach the students the correcttechniquesfor tippingsheepand howtotreat anyshearing relatedinjuries.
“And,atthe eventitself,the students get to talk to the judges about the scoring process.Each studentalso gets abreak throughout the day to watch some of the events. Many students becomehighly engaged with shearing,and some go on to work in the wool industry.”
Solway College
SupportingGolden Shears is important to Solway College
PrincipalJanineTupaea says “the Collegewas offered
afundraising waitressing opportunitylast year and the school’s kapa hakarōpūtook up the offer.”Thegroup served kaiand beverages to those who boughttables,and worked alongside hiredcaterers.Italso helped pack everything down and clean up at the end of the night.
Ateam of 14 students (across Years 8to13), as well as two staffmembers,wereinvolved in 2024. In addition to the school’s catering role,its agriculture classes attend the eventeach year,and at least one Solway College studentcompetes in an event.
Janine says the opportunityto cateratGolden Shearsmeant “the students were able to gain experienceinhospitality, interacting and engaging with members of the public,and working as partofateam in
acontext beyond whatthey already do at school or as part of kapa haka. These experiences alignwith the main values of our kapa hakarōpū:manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and kotahitanga. It wasagood opportunityfor the students to see howthose values are transferable,nomatterthe setting.”
Janine looks forwardtoSolway College having another opportunitytocontinue to supportsuch abrilliantlocal kaupapa moving forward.
Kuranui College
“Last year,”says Annemieke vanVliet,former managerof Kuranui College’s Farming Wananga, “nine of our students participatedinsupporting Golden Shears: three keen girlsand six up-and-coming farmboys.”
Theboyswerelargely from Year 10 and were taking aPrimary ITOcourse.The girls, from Years 11 to 13, were studying Horticulture. Allofthe students were involved in the College’s Farming Wananga.
Annemieke says that participating in Golden Shears is an excellentagricultural opportunityfor the students Their jobs at the 2024 eventincluded resetting the wool pressing stations, undoing bales,and cleaning surrounding areas between heats,among other things.
“These experiences not only allowstudents to showcase their skills and positiveattitudes, but alsoopen doors to new opportunities and connections with farms and farmevents,” Annemieke says.“Andwe received so manyawesome comments on their mahi.”
GOLDENSHEARS.CO.NZ
THERE’SSOMUCH TO SEEAT THE WOOL SHED MUSEUM...
What’smadeNew Zealanda greatagriculturalcountry? Find outatthe National Museum of Sheep andShearinginMasterton
•History of sheep farmingand its importance to ournation
•Spinning andweaving demonstrations on Wednesday mornings andbyarrangement.
•Wool Typesand theiruses
•Vintage machinery
•Shopfor wool garments,footwear, sheepskin rugs,lanolin cosmetics, gift items, kids’stuff andsouvenirs
on of internationalquality ys and 10am-3pm weekends
Rathkeale College students,PhotoSupplied.
KuranuiCollege students,Photos Supplied.
Roger Barton: for the love of wool
Broughtuponafarmnorth of Masterton, Roger Bartonsayshehas been in lovewith wool since about theage of four.“My father John, alwaysknown as Tom forsomereason,was very fussy about his wool and cultivated my interest in it.” Underthe tutelage of his father and aneighbouring farmer, Rogerlearned to shear and crutch sheep,and much more.
At universityhemet Barbie who became his wife, mother of their four children, and his righthand woman. They boughtStonesteadin1981, originally farming 80% sheep and 20% beefontheir 520 hectares.The sizeofthe farm has increased and decreased over the years,settling now at around 480 ha. Throughout,a significantproportion of the farmhas been devoted to QEII covetednativebush.
In the late 1970s,Roger teamed up with Ian (Scotty) Stewarttoshearsome sheep Ian must have kept Roger in mind forroles with Golden Shearsbecause when the idea of aWool Shed Museum was mooted,Ian and his mate Laurie Keats leanedon Roger.They must have been persuasive.
“I’vebeen involved with the Museumsincethe start, which wasaroundthe year 2003,” Roger says.Involved in many other off-farmactivities,Roger says he wasn’t able to get involved in the renovation of the Wool Shed buildings in the early stages,but has always been aTrusteeand involved in governance. Today, he volunteers,too,for the retail side of things“evenonboxing day”
“You’d be hard pressed to find another voluntaryorganisation inWairarapa thathas the number of volunteers and the range of assets thatwehave access to at the Wool Shed,” Roger says.“Theskill sets are amazing -restoring,repiling, making gatesand decks,sales, youname it.But we’realways looking fornew bloodinour volunteers,sodon’t be put off puttingyourself forward.”
Turnsout Roger’s off-farm activities,including the Wool Shed Museum and (in earlier years) both local and national roles in Federated Farmers, areclosely aligned with his on-farmactivities.Barbie, too, has off-farmactivities such as involvementinthe GreaterWellington Ballance Farm EnvironmentAwards, thatare relating to land and,particularly,tohow it is managed.
Roger and Barbie both now volunteer at the Golden Shears competition, withBarbie working with food and Roger sorting the sheep out the back.They’reboth in aweof the logistics involved with the Golden Shears and withthe fitness of the eliteathletes thatare shearers -“they do marathons everyday”.
Roger Barton shearing withhis son Rupert. Right: Roger Barton fencing withhis wife Barbieontheir Greytown farm, Stonestead.
ABOVE:
Ian Stewart:
Arriving in Wairarapa from Scotland in 1953, with his family,Ian Stewartgrewupworking on farms -shepherding forDonald Cameron in Mauriceville and farming forGilbertBaron in Mikimiki.
He quickly learned to shear, and didn’t give it up until he turned 65 years of age,which is quiteafeat-shearing is ahighly skilled craftrequiring significant physical fitness anddedication. Andeventhen he didn’t really give it up,getting up on the stage to shear at the Golden Shears in Mastertonin2020.
As one of the legendary shearers on the 1958 return bus trip to Wairoa foraregional shearing competition, during whichthe idea of Golden Shears wasborn, he’s been aligned with Golden Shears and his good friend Laurie Keats from the beginning
Theidea of Golden Shears soon went international,and Ian even wonthe inaugural British Golden Shears competitionin 1964. Winning the title meant he alsowon £100 forhis effort, the equivalentofmorethan $10,000 today.
Ian wasappointedChief Refereein1980 when the Golden Shears WorldChamps were held in Masterton, and appointedVice-Presidentof Masterton’sGolden Shears in 1982. And, “in1984, my wife Sue and IwentovertoEngland so Icould judge at the Royal Bath and West Golden Shears WorldChamps.”
Today, Ian is turning 88 years of age but remainslean, physically fit andclosely associatedwith Golden Shears as alifemember. He devotes most of his spare time to Masterton’sWool Shed Museum, of which he’s a trustee.Healso helps them out as a‘bush carpenter’ and a ‘clerkofworks’.
“The Museum is atreasure troveofsheep and shearing artifacts,”Ian says.Until 1987, sheep comprised the country’s most importantagricultural industry. Although times have changed with respecttosheep
Flying the flagfor Golden Shears
and wool,Ian says thatshearing will remain important,“so long as sheep exist”.
One of the issues Golden Shearsgrapples with is storage. If thereare anyphilanthropists out therewith storage options they mightlike to offer,Ian says he’d be pleased to hear from them.
Ian’s also in charge of flags and signage.Herecallsthatin1980, when the GoldenShears World Champs came to Masterton, the governmentprovided flags representing each of the competing countries
“When we returned them, they smelled of wool shedsand we got abill forthe drycleaning.”
Sincethen, the Golden Shears Committee regularly buysflags of the 14 member countries of the WorldCouncil,tobe flown on flagpoles around Masterton’srecreation centre
Inside the stadium, flags representing all the competing countries will be on display.
Ian has playedmanydifferent local and international roles for the Golden Shears community, and has lovedthem all
He can’twait forthe 2026 WorldChampionships to be held againinMasterton “Golden Shears isunique, recognised worldwide,and is a wonderful eventtobeinvolved in,”hesays.
ABOVE: Ian at Golden Shears,2015.
Right: Ian shearing at Golden Shears,2000.
GOLDENSHEARS.CO.NZ
2025 GO LDENSHEARS
Edwin O’Hara: building themagic andexcitement of Golden Shears
Edwin O’Hara has vivid memoriesofthe excitementofthe first Golden Shears in 1961.
“I wasayoung lad,not even 20, and my father Roygot me involved.”
RoyO’Harawas Chair of Federated Farmers when Laurie Keats andhis matessought supportfor establishing Golden Shears.Roy looked at the size of the job of keeping track of the scores of hundredsof competitors,with points for time,technique,and forhow the sheep ‘presented’after they were shorn, and gothis mathematical sonontothe task of developing aready reckoner, with time across the topofthe page andpoints down the side Edwin washooked.
Nowalifemember,Edwin hasvolunteeredwith Golden Shears ever since. He has sortedsheep out the back of the stadium, worked in the catchingpens forthe
international shearers,been the ‘call steward’,been treasurer (twice), and wasPresidentof the Golden Shears Committee between 1983 and 1989.
“Myinvolvementwith the Young Farmers Club helped preparemefor work with Golden Shears in so many ways.Weweretaughtpractical skills like shearing and wool handling,but also had access to older farmers who gave us business and financial advice as well as adviceabout stock
-invaluable stuff. We even learned howtodebate and speak publicly. Thecollapse of Young Farmers in Wairarapa is a crying shame.”
Broughtuponthe family farm, OmegaStation in Wainuioru, Edwin had to step up suddenly when Roywas killed in atractor accidentin1965.
“I wasthrownintothe deep end,”hesays. Theland was a‘rehab’farmonwhich Roy had settled afterreturning
Edwin O’Hara getting ready to supportGolden Shears in 2025
from WWII, and waslargely unbroken. Aback accident around the age of 40 meant Edwin struggledafter that, even having to shear his sheep while kneeling,but he persevered with the help of amanager,only retiring from farmingin2005. He tried other jobs,too,including in the fledglingcomputer industry.
Edwin says he is better at wool handling than shearing.Either way, however, he remains passionately keen on wool, feels privileged to be partof the “terrific excitement” of Golden Shears,and lovesbeing partofabig team working together to “make magic.”
With 250 volunteers turning up everyyear and giving a week of their time to support Golden Shears,Edwin says the competitionisanexample to businesses about howto motivatepeople and achieve something special.And he has everyintention of supporting Golden Shears 2025 and the WorldChamps 2026.
John Hodder talksabout the wool industry
“There’s nothingelse like it”
John Hodder,now aged76, has been shearing sinceabout 1964 or thereabouts. He estimates he’s shornmorethan amillion sheep.Evenasapre-schooler, he used to tryand catchlambs to‘pretendshear’them.In woodworkatschool,John made abox to hold shearing gear
Afterleaving school in 1963, John worked forlocal farmers including as awoolhandler for‘Bob’Reed and ashearer in Graham Clegg’s gang.Hemoved around all the sheep catchments in Wairarapa,got to know the farmers,was ashearerfor the Wool Board, and attended Godfrey and Ivan Bowen’s shearing schools
“I wasveryinfluenced by my father, ahighly self-sufficientfarmer who did all his ownshearing.”
Thefamily farmwas one of four subdivided blocks from the original Fernside station in Tauherenikau,purchased by his father afterWWII. In
1970, John boughtone of the adjoining blocks of about 123 acres.Eventually,moreland was purchased andthe farms were merged,tototal about 790 acres of “fatlamb farmland”running about 3,000 sheep -itwas renamed Taha Aruhe.
Approached by Ian Stewartinthe 1980s,John (as ayoung blood) began to getinvolved in Golden Shears.Hewas asked to run the wool pressing and hasbeen doing thateversince, lending his own wool presses to the competition each year.Heevenhas abadge reading Minister of Wool Pressing.
John has been aGolden Shears Committeemember and is a lifemember.His contributions includesupporting the competition to raise its profile in the 1980s and‘90s,incorporating speakers,MCs,and entertainment. He mentions thatbig screensare about to be installed to allowthe audiencebetter viewing of the shearing action.
“Next,”John says,“it wouldbegreat if we had cameras out the back following the sheep running off the trucks and up the races. Then the audiencecould seewhat’s going on out theback.They’d get to see the entireworkings of the Golden Shears.”
John says, “I love the whole wool industry: shearing,wool handling,and wool pressing It’s challenging,it’scompetitive, and requires skilled techniques There’snothing else likeit.”
tBOVE Certificat
ABOVE TOP: Certificate from the wool board, confirming John Hodder’s shearing skills in 1966. RIGHT: John Shearing,age 18.
Left: John (middle) judging the wool pressing at Golden Shears,2019.
2025 GO LDENSHEARS
WorldPremier
Shearing &WoolHandling Championship
THUR 27 FEB FRI28FEB SAT1 MAR
WARMEMORIAL STADIUM, 2DIXON ST,MASTERTON
Celebrating RonnieKing andthe Share Mongolia programme
Ronnie King hasbeen in the shearingindustrysinceleaving schoolaged just 15. “I went pressinginalocal shearing gang beforeI became ashearer and then eventually took over therun.Iwas contracting for about 11 years.”
Buyinghis first farmin Whangamōnona, aged 20, Ronnie haskept working towardswhatheand his wife Buzz havebuilt today-they ownMaru Station, a660 hectare sheepand beef farm in Pahiatua, which keeps them both very busy
Ronnie is alsoone of two Vice-Presidents of the Golden Shears Committee and aWorld Shearing RecordsReferee, travellingaroundthe country and the worldtoofficiate world record shearing attempts In August 2024, tworecord attempts were held in the UK andsoRonnie gotinvited over -“it’s importanttohavean overseasconvenor officiating to keep things impartial.”
In 2025 at Masterton’sGolden Shears,Ronnie’s role will be as ChiefReferee/Judge, organising around 36 shearing, wool handling and wool pressing judges and making sureeverything runs on time Therole of Chief Refereeisone Ronnie has heldsince2017, the same year he wasnamed New Zealand MāoriReferee of the Year.
Buzz is also involved as a volunteer forGolden Shears She helps sortthe food forthe judges dinner and coordinates the college students serving the tables forthe Fridaynight dinner.
Thefamily recently got behind aRabobank/United Nations initiativeinstructing Mongolian herders in the skill of shearing: the ShareMongolia programme.Ronnie,with Buzz and their daughterBridie and a team of instructors,spentJune 2024 in Mongolia. “Together, we taughtabout 150 herders
living anomadic existencehow to use modernshearing gear rather than hand held scissors.”
Afteraweek’s training,herders can shear over twohundred sheep aday with amachine
Theherder is paid 50 centsper sheep shornso, shearing 30 sheep aday with scissors,the herderearns only $15 aday
Shearing 200 sheep aday with machines increases the income to $100 aday.Furthermore, the United Nations Industrial DevelopmentOrganisation has calculatedthatmechanical shearing has the potential to create 4,000 seasonal jobs in
Mongolia, manyofwhich could be filled by women.
“The shearing gearwetook over wasboughtbythe local councils forthe herders to hire,” Ronnie says.
As well as teaching herders to farmmoreproductively, profitably,and sustainably,the ShareMongolia programme also aims to connectthe herders with buyers who buy wool for$1per kg.Asaresult, some herders have enjoyed their first formal deals with buyers.Most herders areused to putting their wool in aheap in the desertinthe hope that passersbywill buy it.Added
LE GRÁ VINEYARD &WINERY
towhich, mechanically-shorn wool and pelts demand twice the priceofproducts shorn with scissors
With their new skills, Mongolian shearers arevisiting New Zealand to join shearing gangs.Earning up to $100 per dayusing electric shears back in Mongolia, the herdersare able to earnabout $600 per dayinNew Zealand
And the teams arefully committed to competing in Golden Shears.In2024, Rabobank sponsored ateam of 10 Mongolian herders.They travelled morethan 12,000km from the steppes in order to compete. One of them wasanentrant in the Novice Wool Handling event, while six participatedinthe Junior Shearing category, and three competed in the Intermediate Shearing classes
AMongolian team has entered again in the 2025 Golden Shearsand the shearers have everyintention of entering a team in the WorldChamps in Mastertonin2026.
ABOVELEFT: Ronnie King teaching in Mongolia. ABOVE: Ronnie Judging the shearing at GoldenShears.
Some other shearing-related achievementsofRonnie’s include:
WorldRecord shearing judge
Judge &referee at Masterton’sGolden Shears Judged at several shows around New Zealand over manyyears
From 2024: NewZealand Shearing Sports National Committee Member
From 2023: NorthIsland Shearing Committee Member
2023: Manager of the NewZealand team competingatthe WorldChamps in Edinburgh.
Since2020: Shearing examiner forthe NorthIsland South 2Region
2015: Manager forthe NewZealand Shearing team to the UK
2025 GO LDENSHEARS
THUR 27 FEB
FRI28FEB SAT1 MAR
World Champs to putMastertononthe world stage in 2026
Masterton’sGolden Shears is hosting the World Shearing,Blade and Wool Handling Championships in 2026, to be run in conjunction with Masterton’s annualGoldenShears event.
Extratime will be added to accommodate both events, kicking off on Wednesday 4March, andgoing through to the eveningofSaturday 7March 2026. AWorlds Committee,separateto theGeneral Golden Shears Committee,isplanning the ‘whatand where’ for2026 including thecompetitions, parades,tours,and more. It is anticipatedthat30or morecountries will enter theWorld Champs so the logistics associated with extra days,events, and numbers of competitors will be significant. Amarque will be set up across the roadfromthe stadium forboth events and forentertainmenteach day and intothe evenings.Entire hotels will be booked out to
accommodate competitors and their squads.
Wairarapa and thelower North Island willbeonshowtothe rest of theworld in various ways during theWorld Champs -in person,livestreaming, and national and internationalmedia andjournalists (TVand print).
“This will be the Wairarapa’s opportunitytoshowcase the region and be involved with an iconic eventthatwas born in Masterton in 1961,”says Trish Stevens,Presidentof Masterton’s Golden Shears
Wairarapa hosted its first World Champsin1980, followedby those held in 1988, 1996, and 2012, all accompanied by parades,pomp, and pageantry. Look out forevenmoreshow and excitementin2026.
