The stage is set for 12 shearing competitions and a wool handling competition at this weekend’s Kepak All-Ireland and All Nations Sheep Shearing and Wool Handling Championships.

Novice, junior and intermediate heats and semi-finals take place on Saturday 1 June, along with a special Galway confined competition. Wool handling competitions and a novel family team event will also take place on Saturday afternoon.

As can be seen in the schedule of events, the finals for the novice and Galway confined competitions will be held on Saturday, while the final of the junior and intermediate competitions will take place on Sunday 2 June between the senior semi-finals and country test competitions.

Stage

A stage has been constructed on the mart premises in the cattle yard which dovetails in with existing facilities to allow for the smooth handling of sheep.

A specially constructed stage will make the best use of existing facilities.

Upwards of 1,500 sheep will be shorn across competitions over the two days. Shearing on Sunday will include some of the top shears from across the globe with shearers from the UK and Ireland featuring heavily in world shearing events and claiming the top accolades in recent years.

External parasite control

The main talks on external parasite control will take place on Saturday at approximately 12 noon and 2pm.

This will feature veterinary advice on controlling external parasites with a strong focus on sheep scab.

Other conditions and parasites including blowfly strike, lice, ticks, head flies, etc, will be addressed, while discussions will also centre on ensuring compliance with the National Sheep Welfare Scheme.

Demonstrations on best practice in dipping will take place throughout the day using a mobile plunge-dipping unit and there will be ample opportunities for farmers to speak with specialists concerning any aspect of external parasite control.

More online

A full programme of events can be viewed at www.farmersjournal.ie or on https://shearfest.ie/.

Schedule

Saturday 1 June: shearing and wool handling competitions

  • 8.30am: competitor check-in.
  • 9am: competitions begin.

    • Running order of competitions

  • Galway confined heats.
  • Novice heats.
  • Junior heats.
  • Intermediate heats.
  • Novice semi-finals.
  • Galway confined semi-finals.
  • Junior semi-finals.
  • Intermediate semi-finals.
  • Galway confined final.
  • Novice final.
  • Wool-handling heats.
  • Wool-handling final.
  • Family team event.
  • Prize-giving.
  • 8pm: gates open for MartBeat. Music acts headlined by Mike Denver and George Murphy and The Rising Sons.

    • Sunday 2 June: shearing competitions

  • 7.30am: competitor check-in.
  • 8am: competitions begin.

    • Running order of competitions

  • Blade heats.
  • Senior heats.
  • Open heats.
  • Blade semi-finals.
  • Senior semi-finals.
  • Open semi-finals.
  • Junior final.
  • Intermediate final.
  • Junior test v Lochearnhead, Scotland.
  • Intermediate test v Corwen, Wales.
  • Senior test v Northern Ireland.
  • Open test v Wales.
  • Blade final.
  • Senior final.
  • Open final.
  • 8pm: gates open for MartBeat. Music acts headlined by Michael English and Cliona Hagan.

    • Members of the Mountbellew Mart sheep shearing committee and representatives from other organisations tied in to the event.