Masterton is buzzing with sheep and shearers for the annual Golden Shears event, which began yesterday and finishes tomorrow.
The event, which began in 1961, is the perfect opportunity to view the world’s premier shearing, wool handling, and wool pressing championship, featuring a range of contests that showcase participants’ raw skill and determination.
This morning features the open wool handling heats, along with the wool pressing and senior shearing heats. This afternoon, spectators can observe the wool handling Top 20 and the open shearing heats, while this evening involves the open shearing top 30, the regional challenge shearing finals, women’s innovation shearing, and the trans-Tasman wool handling test.
Tomorrow morning is the junior and senior wool handling semi-finals as well as the junior, intermediate, and senior shearing semi-finals, the national shearing circuit semi-finals, and the NIWC wool handling finals.
The afternoon is also full, with the junior and senior finals for the wool handling and shearing categories, in addition to the intermediate shearing final, and the open wool handling and open shearing semi-finals.
Bringing the three-day extravaganza to an end tomorrow night are the finals for the national shearing circuit, open wool handling, and opening shearing categories, the Māori and Pākehā teams shearing event, and the Trans-Tasmin Shearing test.
Masterton War Memorial Stadium, 2 Dixon St, Masterton. Friday, March 1: 7.45am-4 pm and 6.30pm-10pm. Saturday, March 2: 7.45am-4 pm and 6.30pm-10pm. Information at goldenshears.co.nz
Fair fare
Tomorrow’s South Wairarapa Rotary Club’s Martinborough Fair provides a great opportunity to enjoy a taste of the local community’s spirit, along with a range of delicious food. The day focuses on craftspeople and local charities.
Tomorrow, Martinborough Square, Martinborough, 8am-4pm. The event has free admission, is suitable for all ages, and has a cash point available on-site.
Pianist performs
Pianist Nikolai Saratovsky is playing two shows in the region next week. The musically minded have the opportunity to see the highly regarded international concert pianist perform at Featherson’s ANZAC Hall on Sunday afternoon and Rathkeale College in Masterton on Tuesday evening. His performances will feature Chopin’s Preludes, Brahms’s Opus 76, Debussy’s Preludes, and Rachmaninoff’s Musical Moments OP 16
Sunday at ANZAC Hall, Featherston, 3pm-4.30pm, and Rathkeale College, Masterton, on Tuesday, March 5 from 7.30pm.
