The Six Nations Blade Sheep Shearing Championship will return to this year's Balmoral Show, which take place from May 11-14, 2022.
The contest did not take place in 2021, due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, however the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) has announced its return next month.
Competitors from Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales and France will descend on the Sheep Fold at Balmoral Park on Saturday, May 14, to compete for the coveted title.
The closing date for entries is Monday, May 2, 2022 at 5:00p.m.
Sheep shearing competitions
Apart from the Six Nations Blade Shearing Championship, Balmoral will host many other familiar sheep shearing competitions.
These include:
- Lister Shearing / Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster (YFCU) Novice and Advanced Sheep Shearing Championship;
- National Sheep Shearing Championship;
- Royal Ulster International Sheep Shearing Championships;
- National Wool Handling Competition;
- Open Blade Shearing Championship;
- National Blade Shearing - Final;
- Wool Handling Development Test;
- Wool Handling Competition;
- Shearing / Wool Handling Teams Test.
The Golden Shears World Championships will take place at the Royal Highland Show in 2023.
The team for the Golden Shears World Championship will be selected from the 2022 results and will consist of the winner of the RUAS International Competition who will be the captain and the highest placed winner of the NISSA Open Circuit.
If this is the same person, the selection will move to second place competitor in the NISSA Open Circuit.
The team for the Blades and Wool Handling competition will be selected from the National Competition at Balmoral Show 2022.
Balmoral Show 2022
Over 120,000 people usually visit the Balmoral Show each year, which is sponsored by Ulster Bank.
Visitors can expect the usual mix of machinery exhibits, local food, shopping outlets and family entertainment.
Agricultural and livestock displays will take centre stage across the four-day show with cattle parades, show jumping events and the sheep shearing contests.
Show organisers have also confirmed that many of the livestock classes will be streamed online again, having attracted an international audience in 2021.
