Ostini Wool Shears has been held at the Parkes Show on Tuesday each year for the past 20 years. It is a great opportunity for shearers at all levels to showcase their shearing skills and receive recognition in three different categories: learner shearers, intermediate shearers and open division for all shearers. The shearers are required to shear two sheep, and they are timed on how long it takes them to do this, as well as the neatness of the sheep at the completion of each shear.
Following the heats, the shearers are graded into the final and compete to win on the same basis as the heats. The winners this year were Learners: Josh Myllett, Alectown; Intermediate: Andrew Potts, Parkes and in the Open division: Andrew Calton, Parkes. Mal Rodgers of Parkes won a trophy donated by the Frame family in memory of local shearer Matt Frame, for the neatest sheep.
Ostini Wool would like to thank the Townsend family of Alectown who send in their sheep for the competition, Mark Longhurst the carrier, and various wool growers and local businesses who contribute to the prize pool. A big thank you to the shearers who take time off from shearing to make this event possible, as well as the timekeepers and judges.