Wool-handlers outnumber shearers in this year's New Zealand Merino Shearing Championships.
The event began in Alexandra yesterday. About 180 competitors are vying for more than $14,000 in prize money over two days of competition.
It is the country's only fine-wool championship.
Organising committee chairman Don Moffat said the biggest field was in the open wool-handling, which had attracted a ''terrific'' 60 entries.
Australian shearer Damien Boyle is hoping to make history again by notching up his sixth successive win in the open shearing event.
''It's hard to predict what will happen on the day during the final. Anything can happen,'' Mr Moffat said.
Boyle won his fifth successive title last year and was the first to do so.
The West Australian won the 2014 event just a week after being cleared to compete, following surgery to remove a melanoma.
The open wool-handling championship was won last year by Joel Henare, who is back to defend his title.
''There's quite a few Australian wool-handlers this year too, so they might give us a run for the money,'' Mr Moffat said.
Between 1300 and 1400 sheep will be shorn during the competition and the open finals will be held tonight.
Molyneux Stadium has been transformed into a shearing shed for the occasion.
A popular teddy-bear ''shear'' event for children will form part of this afternoon's entertainment and a team event and transtasman clash also feature on the programme.
