THE switch from a Quick Shear competition to Sport Shear at the Gulargambone Show seems to have been a hands-down success.

Organisers Tim McKenzie and Steven Mudford say that the shearers were keen and the standard was high throughout the competition on Saturday 27 May.

The first sheep was shorn at 9 am and the last went down the chute at 5 pm.

Illness played havoc with the numbers, with 33 shearers turning up out of around double the nominations.

"A heap of people had the flu from the weekend before and there were some with COVID," said Mr McKenzie.

"It has been a big couple of weeks with Wellington and Dubbo competitions back to back with Gular."

Those who made it to Gulargambone were keen to start accumulating points for the Sport Shear competition's new year which ends in the State Finals each year at the Dubbo Show.

This year's event attracted competitors from a wide area. 

Results were as follows:

Open division, 1st Zac Mallise (Barraba), 2nd Jeremy Newberry (Guyra), 3rd Elliott Learmonth (Peak Hill). 

4th John Burrston (Murrurundi).

Seniors: Jake Pilley (Mudgee), Tim McKenzie (Coonamble, Les Perrett (Guyra), 4th Scott Bell (Warren). 

Intermediate: 1st Blake duff (Tooraweenah), 2nd Martess Woods (Parkes), 3rd Clare Hanson (Forbes), 

4th Cooper Boyde (Walcha).

Novice: 1st Britt Philips (Pilliga), 2nd Justice Charter (Dubbo).

Men and women compete in the same division.

ABOVE: Coonamble’s Tim McKenzie was our best local shearer on the day. PHOTO: Tia Currie

"Shearers are judged by what comes off the handpiece not who's hanging onto it," Mr McKenzie said.

"Sports Shear is just getting bigger and bigger and the young ones are getting keener and keener.

"The standard is improving every year and we saw that on Saturday where the points between 1st and 4th got really close."

He says one shearer ran 2nd by the equivalent of about three matchboxes of wool over ten sheep.

"They're practising all week to compete," Mr McKenzie said. "Shearers are upskilling that much quicker."

By mid afternoon the crowd of spectators had swelled, adding to the attendance at the Show.

"It was good for the whole town to have the shearing, the Show and the campdraft all on at one time," he said.

The strong interest from shearers means that the organisers are already discussing adding extra stands to the existing setup at the Gulargambone Showground.