Edinburgh will host shearing teams from 31 countries as they take part in the 2023 Golden Shears Sheep Shearing and Woolhandling World Championships this summer.
Taking place at Scotland’s Royal Highland Show and hosted by the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), the competition will see entries from Japan, South Africa and New Zealand take part in the event. The Golden Shears is the world’s leading sheep shearing and woolhandling competition and will, this year, take place during the Royal Highland Show from June 22-25, 2023.
The hosting rights were secured in 2019 following an intense bidding process, ultimately won by the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland, Scotland’s leading agricultural charity. As well as a huge investment financially and logistical support by the Society this year, Golden Shears is also sponsored by Lister Shearing, British and Ulster Wool, Elanco, The MacRobert Trust, Hoggs of Fife and Taylors Snacks Ltd.
With more than 200,000 visitors expected to pass through the gates of the Royal Highland Show, the Golden Shears stage will be watched by a huge in-person audience, in addition to tens of thousands of online viewers on the show’s streaming platform, RHS TV.
This is only the second time that Scotland has hosted the Golden Shears since its launch in 1977, the first being in 2003 again hosted by the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland.
RHASS chairman, Jim Warnock, said: “Scotland is the perfect stage for the Golden Shears and we are delighted to be welcoming shearing teams from over 30 countries to the Royal Highland Show this June. The Golden Shears is an exciting addition to what is already Scotland’s best day out – if you’ve never experienced the thrill of the shearing tent before, make sure to pay it a visit this year as the world’s top talent will be on display.”
