Dating back to 1972, the National Shearing Circuit is a prestigious competition celebrating excellence in the skill of shearing. PGG Wrightson has stood as a principal sponsor for two decades.
A longstanding partnership forged in 2001 between PGG Wrightson and the event has been sustained, evolving into a collaborative sponsorship with Vetmed, a notable figure in the realm of animal health products. As a result, the event will be proudly titled the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit.
The competition spans five rounds, commencing in Alexandra during October with the fine wool section. The journey then progresses to Waimate for full wool hoggets, followed by the Corriedales stage in Christchurch in November. Come Waitangi Day, the focus shifts to lambs in Rangitikei, culminating in February's final leg in Pahiatua with second shears.
Culminating in Masterton, the circuit's pinnacle sees the top 12 shearers, determined by their accumulated points across the five rounds, competing on the eve of the Golden Shears.


2023/2024 Shearing Circuit dates
VENUE |
DATE |
CHAMPIONSHIP |
BREED |
Alexandra |
29-30 September 2023 |
NZ Merino Shearing Championships |
Merino |
Waimate |
6-7 October 2023 |
NZ Spring Shears |
Romney Full Wool |
Christchurch |
15-17 November 2023 |
NZ Corriedale Shearing/Woolhandling Championships Hosted by the NZ Agricultural Show |
Corriedale |
Marton |
3 February 2024 |
Rangitikei Shears |
Romney Lambs |
Pahiatua |
25 February 2024 |
Pahiatua Shears |
Romney Second Shear |
Masterton |
1-3 March 2024 |
Golden Shears |
Multi Breeds |
National Shearing Circuit News
Two wins, a service award, flying, a road trip - the weekend of right honourable Stratty
Prolific winning Southland shearing legend Nathan Stratford has won a lot of titles in more than 30 years of competition shearing but still had time for something different at the Canterbury Shears’ New Zealand Corriedale shearing and woolhandling championships in Christchurch on Thursday and Friday...
Nathan Stratford on target for 20th National Shearing Circuit final
Two-times National Shearing Circuit champion Nathan Stratford has set sail for a possible 20th final in the annual all-breeds championship with maximum points in the first three rounds of the 2023-2024 PGG Wrightson/Vetmed series. The Southland gun first reached the final in 2000, when it was won by...
Southland gun Samuels makes it a double
Southland shearer and New Zealand representative Leon Samuels completed a double of the traditional first two titles of the shearing sports season when he reclaimed the Waimate Spring Shearing Championship open shearing title in Waimate on Saturday. Samuels, winner of the national fine wool...
Tia Potae returns to New Zealand shearing sports team
South Otago woolhandler Tia Potae returns to Trans-Tasman test-match competition after an absence of 10 years by winning the New Zealand Merino Shears open woolhandling title in Alexandra on Saturday. Potae has competed sparingly at times as she has pursued other interests in the wool industry over...
Fine wool challenge starts shearing sports season
An attempt to stop Australia from claiming New Zealand’s top fine wool shearing title, and the selection of a shearer and woolhandler for next month’s Trans-Tasman tests, will be features of the New Zealand Merino Shears in Alexandra on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 September. Last year, the open...
PGG Wrightson / Vetmed National Shearing Circuit - a "cool" competition to be in
Article by: Doug Laing, Media Officer for Shearing Sports New Zealand Entries are now open for the 2023-2024 PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit. The series incorporates the McSkimming Memorial Triple Crown which was first presented after a three-round series in 1972-1973, starting at the...
Marlborough shearer Angus Moore wins PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit
Marlborough’s Angus Moore is the 2023 PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit champion. With the top shearers testing their versatility over five rounds, Seddon-based Angus overcame the logistical challenge of multiple contests throughout the country during spring and summer, also out...
Competition heats up for final weekend before Golden Shears
The Country, NZ Herald Toa Henderson is shaping up as a serious contender to end Rowland Smith’s Golden Shears open championship-winning run this week in Masterton. Henderson, of Kaiwaka, won a six-man Pahiatua Shears open final, scoring his third victory in three weeks over Hawke’s Bay-based Smith...
National Shearing Circuit Competition Heating Up
One of the closest races in the half-century of the national shearing championship has developed, as the 2022-2023 PGG Wrightson Vetmed Shearing Circuit heads towards the last of its five preliminary rounds at the Pahiatua Shears on February 26. While defending champion and Southland shearer Nathan...