We will flock you: tech it to the bleat at the Royal Highland Show
The Golden Shears World Sheep Shearing & Woolhandling Championships is returning to the Royal Highland Show in June after 20 years.
Held in the MacRobert Theatre, more than 35 countries from across the world will battle it out to see who is the fastest sheep shearer and who has the best woolhandling technique.
The highly-anticipated event will feature 39 decorated sheep sculptures that are currently on tour across Scotland in the Flock to the Show public art trail.
The Scotsman is the media partner for both events and the Royal Highland Show is held from 22 to 25 June.
Visit the website at royalhighlandshow.org
Meet the artists
Pam Walker graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee, specialising in printed textiles and fashion. This was followed by a short stint working as a designer, then as a theatre manager, before opening This Little Piggy, a children’s shoe shop.
Pam has run this for 25 years, as well as bringing up six children. Pam has won many awards and achievements, being recognised by the Scottish Premier Fashion Awards in 1991 and Jack & Irving Fashion Award 1992. She was a finalist in the Radio 1 Clothes Show Competition, and was named Bacardi Rum Scottish Designer of the Year 1991.
Pam’s collaborator, Topaz – her middle daughter – is keen to follow in her mum’s footsteps by going to art college and pursuing a career in fashion.
Topaz has completed her art A-level course at Strathallan School, having won the RSA Schools Art Award 2021. She is currently gaining valuable production experience at fashion brand Isolated Heroes.
Gordie – The Golden Sheep Heart
Gordie – The Golden Sheep Heart highlights the adverse effects of not taking on new technologies in agriculture.
Resistance to tech change limits farmers’ agility in adopting more efficient and sustainable practices, reducing productivity and increasing production costs.
Failure to embrace new technologies could also put Scottish farmers at a disadvantage compared to producers in other countries. This issue can lead to reduced yields and less efficiency, as well as increased costs, as farmers may need to rely on more labour-intensive methods or higher quantities of inputs to achieve similar results.
This inevitably impacts competitiveness in an increasingly globalised marketplace.
Meet the sponsor
Kerbl’s roots lie in animal husbandry and the company aims to make the daily work of farmers, breeders and animal lovers easier through innovation.
The team can look back on more than 50 years of success since the founding of Albert Kerbl GmbH in 1984. It has become a “global player”, offering market knowledge and high innovative strength.
Kerbl took over the brand Rutland at the beginning of January 2020. Rutland had more than 45 years as one of the market leaders for electric fencing in the UK, and was well known beyond its borders.
The business now combines the extensive experience of Rutland with the competence of Kerbl as a producer of product ranges including animal breeding, stable and yard supplies, hobby farming, equestrian sports and pet supplies for the UK market.
Find your fleece
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