Golden Shears is back at the Royal Highland Show: when is it, and where do I buy tickets?
The Royal Highland Show celebrates the best of Scottish farming, with rosette and ribbons being prized items. But perhaps there’s no bigger title up for grabs this year then the Golden Shears, an event which makes its long-awaited return to the four-day spectacular this June.
It’s been 20 years since the Golden Shears Sheep Shearing and Woolhandling World Championships last took top billing at the event. Back for 2023, Juniors, Young Farmers and Seniors will be battling it out on the showground as they dazzle onlookers with their speed and talent, and sheep-shearing becomes not just an animal welfare and business necessity, but a full-on action sport. More than 30 countries are expected to battle it out for the top title, including Team Scotland.
The Royal Highland Show Shearing Competitions take place on Thursday and Friday with the Golden Shears World Sheep Shearing Championships starting on Saturday, culminating in the grand finals on the Sunday, the closing day of the Royal Highland Show.
The six-strong Team Scotland is led team manager David Stewart, a self-employed sheep farmer from Glenshee. His team are Audrey Aiken, an HR advisor at Nuclear Transport Solutions and Wool Handler, William Craig, a blade shearer from the Scottish Borders, Mark Armstrong, a sheep and pig farmer from Perthshire, Rosie Keenan, a Wool Handler from Strathyre, Hamish Mitchell, who has travelled the world with sheep shearing, before settling down with his own farms in Scotland, and Calum Shaw from Saline, who despite being only 32 has 20 years’ experience in sheep shearing.
Bruce Lang, RHASS Director said: “The 2023 Golden Shears Sheep Shearing & Woolhandling World Championships showcases the art, skill and techniques it takes to be a world champion. Taking place at the 2023 Royal Highland Show in June in the purpose built MacRobert Theatre, we expect over 30 countries to compete for the title at the heart of Scotland's biggest agricultural event.”
Cheer on Team Scotland at the Golden Shears World Championship at The Royal Highland Show, from June 22-25, 2023, tickets are on sale now at: royalhighlandshow.org