TRANS-TASMAN shearers will be sharpening their blades to vie for one of the largest cash prizes for quickshear in the world when the Oberon Show is held next month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 2022 Oberon Quickshear, to be held in conjunction with the town's show on February 12, will offer more than $20,000 in prizemoney.
Locals Aaron Booth and Joel Ryan, along with Josh Clayton, who was 14 short of cracking a world shearing record 18 months ago, have teamed up to make this year's event bigger than ever after it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the main attractions of the show and running throughout the day, the winner of the 2022 open category will receive one of the highest prize packets ever offered in Australia, as they are set to pocket $10,000, which is double the prizemoney offered for victory in 2020.
The competition will be run in learner, intermediate, senior and open categories.
Competitors will have to shear a sheep not only in the quickest time, but the lamb must also be shorn to a saleyard standard.
IN OTHER NEWS AROUND BATHURST:
Organisers are hoping to attract up to 80 competitors, with a series of heats whittling them down to a top 16 for the semi-finals.
The open category will have a top 10 and the final will be held in the evening.
The 2020 Oberon Quickshear event open title was taken out by Whanake Whare, who clocked a winning time of 28 seconds.
Senior winner was Tom Duggan (38.06 seconds), intermediate winner Nate Owen (58.97 seconds) and learner winner Darcy Inwood (1.09.15).
The Trans-Tasman competition went to New Zealand.
There will also be the Artie Ryan Memorial (in honour of Joel's father), who was a left-handed shearer killed in a car accident in 2003.
Competitors will shear left-handed and then skol a hot can of VB before their time is recorded.
Rocky Wegner beat out all comers in 2020.
All money raised at the 2022 event will go towards a local woman who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
Nominate for the 2022 Oberon Quickshear through the competition's Facebook page.
The Oberon Show Facebook page also has the program for the show on Saturday, February 12.
The official opening, by NSW Governor Margaret Beazley, will be at noon.