SCOTLAND’S sheep shearing circuit is already underway as competitors hope to pick up points at some of the country’s leading shows that will go towards their overall tally. 

With two shows already in the bag for the machine shearers – Lesmahagow and Northumberland – the season gets in full swing when shearers take to the boards at the Royal Highland and Lochearnhead Shears in the next couple of weeks. There are two more opportunities to collect points as the circuit includes Lakeland Shears at the start of July and the Black Isle Show at the beginning of August. Four sets of points are required to qualify for the league. 

In the blade, or hand shearing, circuit, there are only three opportunities to score points, at the Highland, Lochearnhead and Black Isle, and competitors must compete at all three. 

Wool handlers have five opportunities to add to their tally – Royal Ulster, the Highland, Lochearnhead, Corwen Show and the Black Isle – and, again, require four sets of points. 

Heading up last year’s open circuit was regular show winner Hamish Mitchell, while Stuart Davidson won the seniors in his last year before competing in the open section in 2017. Kenny O’Connor led the intermediates with Jim White at the top of the junior league. Winning the blade circuit was Mark Armstrong and Audrey Lamb topped the wool handling leaderboard. 

The circuit is open to all classifications and entry is free. For more information contact Margaret Whiteford on 0131 333 4862 or whitefordmr@hotmail.com.