Wales toasts triple success at world shearing championships
Welsh shearer Richard Jones in action at Golden Shears world championship © Represent Comms Wales toasted an incredible triple success at the world sheep shearing championships, held at this week’s Royal Highland Show, near Edinburgh.
Gwion Evans, from Grugor Isa Farm in Clwt, Denbighshire, claimed the individual machine shearing title at the Golden Shears Sheep Shearing and Woolhandling World Championships on Sunday (25 June).
See also: Farmer Focus: Shearing competition shows community spirit
Evans beat fellow Welsh shearer Richard Jones, from Lllangollen, who finished second, with Callum Shaw, from Scotland, finishing third in the competition.
In the team’s section, Evans and Jones combined superbly to take the machine shearing competition.
Golden Shears machine-shearing champion Gwion Evans
The woolhandling team event was won by Welsh pair Ffion Jones and Sarah-Jane Rees.
Meanwhile, Rosie Keenan from Scotland triumphed in the woolhandling individual event.
🏴 Scotland’s Audrey Aiken in action in the Wool Handling World Championships Individual Final at @ScotlandRHShow.
She took second place behind compatriot Rosie Keenan yesterday!@qmscotland | @NFUStweets pic.twitter.com/VRORINiBs9
— Farmers Weekly (@FarmersWeekly) June 26, 2023
And South African blade shearers Bonile Rabela and Zwelamakhosi Mbuweni won the blade shearing team world title.
The Golden Shears was first held in 1977 and takes place every few years in different locations around the world. New Zealand failed to win a single title for the first time in 19 years.
Bruce Lang, chief steward of sheep shearing for the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, said: “Huge congratulations to all of the winning individuals and teams.
“It takes an enormous amount of hard work, determination, and skill to reach this level and represent your country on the world stage.”
This was only the second time Golden Shears has been held in Scotland – the last time being 2003.
New Zealand will host the 20th Golden Shears Sheep Shearing and Woolhandling World Championships in Masterton on 4-7 March 2026.