Entries are now open for the annual New Zealand Merino Shears (NZMS) competition, which is to be held in Alexandra on October 4 and 5.
Organising committee immediate past president and spokesman Graeme Bell, of Alexandra, said the event would be held at the Molyneux Stadium and it was the 25th year it had taken place at that venue.
''We normally get between 45 and 55 entries for the open shearing event and we are targeting about 50 for the open woolhandling,'' Mr Bell said.
''Last year, we had about 100 woolhandling entries in the open, senior and junior events.''
Judges are coming from the North Island and last year's shearing open winner, Damien Boyle, of Broomehill, West Australia, hopes to win the event for the third time in a row.
''New Zealand shearers will be trying really hard to stop him doing that,'' Mr Bell said. There would be shearers from throughout New Zealand and Australia taking part and hoping to win a share of the $14,000 worth of prizes and the chance to compete at the Perth Royal Show next year as well as the prestige that came with being a champion.
Local shearers to watch included Colin and Charlie O'Neill, of Alexandra, and Nathan Stratford, of Invercargill, who was shearing in Central Otago.
''They will be major contenders and wanting to upset the three-time potential victory.''
A team of shearers - Chris Vickers, of Shag Point and Tony Coster, of mid-Canterbury, who placed second and third in last year's NZMS open event - will be flying out to the Perth Royal Show, to compete in the first round of the annual Australia v New Zealand shearing test match at the end of this month.
The second round of the test match will be held at the NZMS.
In addition to the merino shearing competition, the event would also be the first round of the national PGG Wrightson Shearing Championships, with other rounds held at Waimate, Marton, Pahiatua and Christchurch.
The final will be held at the Golden Shears competition, in Masterton, in March. Mervyn Kinaston, of Alexandra, is the new NZMS committee president.
Mr Bell said Mr Kinaston, a retired farmer at Raes Junction, and his wife, Helen, had been dedicated contributors and supporters of the competition for many years.