THE Welsh sheep shearing team is all set for next year's Golden Shears World Championships after a great performance during the Royal Welsh Show.

Welsh rugby international legend Leigh Halfpenny joined the Welsh Shearing Team on stage on the Wednesday and this year’s show saw Ian Jones winning the Champion Shearer of Wales competition.

Having previously come close to winning the competition before, this is the first time for local boy Ian from Hundred House to take the coveted title.

The winner of the Welsh Open Circuit was Gwion Lloyd Evans from Denbigh. Both Ian and Gwion are now in the Welsh Machine Shearing Team for 2016/2017.

The crowds continued to roar as the machine shearing tests took place against France and New Zealand with Wales winning both contests. Wales also won the Six Nation Blade Shearing Competition where Welsh team members Elfed Jackson from Bethesda and Gareth Owen from Beddgelert competed. Gareth also won the Open Commercial Blade Shearing competition at the show and Elfed won the Welsh Open Blade Shearing Circuit.

The winner of this year’s Open Woolhandling Competition was Robyn Charlton from Presteigne followed by Ffion Davies from Corwen (formally from Libanus, Brecon) who won the Welsh Open Woolhandling Circuit. Ian, Gwion, Elfed, Gareth, Robyn and Ffion will form the Welsh Team who will now go forward to the Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships being held at Invercargill, New Zealand in February 2017.

“With strong performances across all disciplines of machine shearing, blade shearing and woolhandling, excitement is building towards a mouth-watering Golden Shears World Championships next February. I wish all team members and their manager, Martyn David, the very best of luck.” added Aled Jones.