South Africans Win Awards in International Sheep Shearing Championships

Congratulations to Mayenzeke Shweni and Zweiliwile Hans from South Africa for coming first and second in the Individual Finals of the Blade Shearing category at the World Sheep Shearing Championships this weekend in Ireland! Together Shweni and Hans also scored a first for South Africa in the Teams Final for the same category.

Jim Cully, World Shearing Champion in 1976 and 1978, commented afterwards that South African shearers in general are considered to be among “the best hand shearers in the world”.

He said South Africans are very “at ease” and “natural” with their shearing.

An unprecedented five countries won World Titles at the Championships this year. Other titles, including that for Wool Handling, were won by New Zealand (Rowland Smith won the World Machine Shearing title), Scotland, England and Wales.

Over 30 countries competed in total.

The Festival is held over a few days in Gorey, a beautiful coastal town in County Wexford, just an hour away from Dublin. It’s a family-friendly festival that attracts an estimated 30,000 visitors.

South African tourist Leonie B-T, who was visiting nearby County Kildare, headed down to the international festival for the Finals today although it was “super wet and drizzly” (check out the mud!).

As with any good South African outside of SA, she had been delighted when she discovered Zweiliwile had won in one of the rounds yesterday. “Great news – a South African won one of the sheep shearing categories yesterday!!” she “bleated” happily!

Today she sent us the following photos from the Festival, as well as some beautiful shots of sheep in the Irish countryside which we can’t resist sharing.

Watch Video: Golden Shears 2014 – World Blade Shearing Teams Final

Watch our guys in action!

Well done Mayenzeke Shweni and Zweiliwile Hans – making South Africa proud!