Shearers from all around the world are flocking to Masterton for the 64th annual Golden Shears World Champs this week.
Along with the coveted Golden Shears title, competitors were also vying to be champions in other categories including wool handler and wool presser.
"We have a life member who always refers this to the Wimbledon of shearing," said Golden Shears president Trish Stevens.
The contest had drawn farmers from countries as far away as Mongolia, Chile, England, and France.
The three-day Golden Shears World Champs held in the Wairarapa draws visitors and competitors from 26 countries across the world. (Source: 1News)
Masterton's mayor Bex Johnson said the population of the town would almost double during the event.
"The hotels are full, the car parks are full, everything's full," she said.
"We’ve got people banging on the doors of our businesses and retailers, it’s just amazing."
Over 250 volunteers help during the three-day event, many of them students from Wairarapa schools.
A key task was managing roughly 7000 sheep — donated by farmers up and down the country — for the event.
Student Sarah Linton said she had learned a lot.
"You learn how to try to calm [the sheep] down when they get really excited about being up here," she said.
Wairarapa College agriculture teacher James O'Connor said the Golden Shears was one of the best classrooms.
"The big thing I like out of it myself is the fact they do voluntary work and to do that and give back to their community first in an area that they’re also passionate about I think is really important," he said.
Another volunteer student, Bane Shenk, said he hoped to be in the competition one day.
"I like animals, I like farming and it’s a really cool thing to do, something that helps the community out," he said.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Trade Minister Todd McClay and local MP Mike Butterick also came to visit the event on Thursday.
“It's a great thing we're seeing young people wanting to be out in rural New Zealand, out on farms wanting to shear sheep," Minister McClay said.
The government was keen to show its support for an industry crucial to the economy.
It was forecast that meat and wool export revenue would increase 7% to $13.2 billion this year.
"Here's something very few people know, the carpet in the Indian parliament is made from New Zealand wool," McClay said.
Student volunteers told 1News the fact the primary industries are booming is an incentive for them to pursue it as a career.
- Additional reporting by Reuben Smith
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