Welsh lads to go for gold at Golden Shears
Three young Welsh shearers are poised for a St David’s Day treat after qualifying for two of the finals at the 54th
Golden Shears international shearing and woolhandling championships being held in Masterton.
Alun Lloyd Jones, of Corwen, and Sion Lewis, of Lampeter, are among the six in the intermediate final, while Hefin
Rowlands, of Ruthin, is in the junior final, all to be shorn on Saturday, the final day of the three-day championships.
Despite being perhaps the biggest Northern Hemisphere supporters of the Golden Shears, Wales has produced only one
Golden Shears champion, 19991 junior winner Alwyn Mancini.
The modern-era trio has big support in former shearer Huw Condron, from Brecon Beacons, and who arrived in New Zealand
just last week to take up a popular role as a stadium commentator at the championships, where his countrymen’s finals
will be watched by a mid-afternoon crowd of at least 1000 people. Their events are among 22 being decided at the Golden
Shears.
Mr Condron said a win would be a big event for Wales, where shearing competition has been on a steady “improve” to the
point he now rates his country’s top shearers, Gareth Daniel, of Machynlleth, and Richard Jones, of Corwen, as serious
contenders for the World Championships in Ireland in May.
The Intermediate finalists are headed by Matawai shearer Catherine Mullooly, who is aiming to become the first woman to
win any Golden Shears shearing title above the Junior grade.
Qualifiers for the Intermediate final (in order): Catherine Mullooly (Matawai), Marshall Guy (Kaeo), Alun Lloyd Jones
(Corwen, Wales), Darren Alexander (Whangamomona), Bevan Pere (Gisborne), Sion Lewis (Lampeter, Wales).
Qualifiers for the Junior final (in order): Joel Richards (Oamaru), Tegwyn Bradley (Woodville), Josh Balme (Te Kuiti),
Hefin Rowlands (Ruthin, Wales), Neil Bryant (Levin), Lionel Taumata (Gore).
ENDS