Golden Shears World Championships:australian shearers and woolhandlers, World Championships

Three Major Titles: Sports Shear Australia's Team of Shannon Warnest, Ross Thompson, Aroha Garvin and Eileen Evans won three of the major titles at the recent World Shearing Championships in Bloemfontein South Africa. They proved Australia's shearers and woolhandlers are World-class competitors and ambassadors. The Golden Shears World Championships were held on Fine Wool sheep for only the second time since 1977. Competitors from sixteen countries attended as well as hundreds of supporters. The Australians won the World Shearing, World Woolhanding and World Shearing Team Titles.
Manager/Coach Peter Black, Western Australia said "all four Australians earned their place in the finals by being the highest quality shearers and woolhandlers in the event from start to finish. They competed in a very controlled manner and did what was needed to qualify to the next stage". Shannon Warnest from Anguston in South Australia won the individual Shearing and Ross Thompson, Inverell, New South Wales was placed 4th. They teamed up and together won the World Shearing Teams title. Shannon paid tribute to Sports Shear Australia and their sponsors, he said "Without them we couldn't have come here to compete." Darin Forde, New Zealand, is the current World Ewe record holder (720 sheep in 9 hours) and set the pace in the shearing final, he put one sheep around everyone except Ross Thompson. Darin (runner-up), said, " I was happy with my shear, but Shannon was just too good" 3rd was Charles August (Lesotho), 4th Ross Thompson (Australia), 5th John Emslie (New Zealand), 6th Kenneth Norman (South Africa). In winning the world title Shannon becomes only the second Australian to become World Champion, and is following in the footsteps of Australian shearing legend Mark Conlan who won the title in Perth in 1986
	2000 World Shearing Team Champions Ross Thompson & Shannon Warnest - Australia
The World Woolhandling final was close and exciting, with Aroha Garvin (Esperance, Western Australia) finishing first, three points ahead of Eileen Evans (York, Western Australia) and Leanne Peeti (New Zealand) third. Aroha and Eileen teamed up to be runners-up in a new event the World Woolhanding teams, which was won by New Zealand. The woolhanders paid tribute to Sports Shear Australia and their sponsors the Minister of Primary Industry and Fisheries, and the Esperance community, and Shearing Industry Consultants. The major lead up event, the South African Open Shearing Championship was dominated by Australia, with five of the six finalists from Australia. Matthew Philipson (Wellington) New South Wales, a relatively unknown shearer, proved he will be a force over the next few years, by beating all comers. With borrowed handpieces he was the outsider and shore brilliantly to win ahead of, Shannon Warnest runner-up, Charles August (Lesotho) 3rd, Ross Thompson 4th, Damian Boyle (West Australia) 5th, Steve Smith (South Australia) 6th
Judges were invited from many countries for the event, with the Australian judges being Joe Duff, of Newdegate, and Tony Abbey, Badgingarra, Western Australia. Bernie Walker of Euroa Shearing Association, a Founding Member of Golden Shears World Council said, "the success of the Australians was a tribute to the superb coaching and shrewd management provided by Peter Black with the support of many people throughout Australia. It has been a long and at times frustrating and disappointing process, with the Australians finishing second in the teams event in New Zealand in 1996, second and fifth in the woolhandling in 1998 in Ireland. But the success of the Australians in South Africa has been a just reward for perseverance and skill. They can now look forward with confidence to the next World Championships in Scotland in 2002 and the prospect of a home Championships in 2005". Sports Shear Australia to host the 2005 World Championships. The Golden Shears World Council committee, who are made up of 11 member countries met before the World Championships to discuss rules and regulations and any business as well as future events. Peter Black and Tony Abbey, the Australian delegates, lodged a submission for Australia to host the 2005 World Championships. The World Council agreed unanimously, now Sports Shear Australia Australia Assoc. has to select the most suitable venue for 2005, where possibly 20 countries and their entourage will attend

*World Machine Shearing Final* 1st Shannon Warnest (Australia) 2nd Darin Forde (New Zealand) 3rd Charles August (Lesotho) 4th Ross Thompson (Australia) 5th John Emslie (New Zealand) 6th Kenneth Norman (South Africa)	World Shearing Teams 1st (Australia) Ross Thompson & Shannon Warnest 2nd (New Zealand) John Emslie & Darin Forde 3rd (Scotland) Tom Wilson & Hamish Mitchell 4th (Le Sotho) Charles August & Albert Teisi 5th (South Africa) Kenneth Norman & James Zingane 6th (France) Daniel Boillot & Denis Negre
*World Blade Shearing Final* 1st Alias Hans (South Africa) 2nd Elliot Ntsombo (Lesotho) 3rd Noel Handley (NZ) 4th Samuel Nkomoyo (South Africa) 5th Alex McDonald (NZ) 6th Samuel Juba (Lesotho)	*World Blade Shearing Teams Final* 1st Alias Hans & Samuel Nkomoyo (South Africa) 2nd Elliot Ntsombo & Samuel Juba (Lesotho) 3rd Noel Handley & Alex McDonald (NZ)
*World Woolhandling Final* 1st Aroha Garvin (Australia) 2nd Eileen Evans (Australia) 3rd Leanne Peeti (New Zealand)	*World Woolhandling Teams* 1st (New Zealand) Tina Rimene & Leanne Peeti 2nd (Australia) Eileen Evans & Aroha Garvin 3rd (South Africa) Richard Khontsiwe & Abram Fada
*South African Open Shearing* 1st Matthew Philipson (Australia) 2nd Shannon Warnest (Australia) 3rd Charles August (Lesotho) 4th Ross Thompson (Australia) 5th Damian Boyle (Australia) 6th Steve Smith (Australia)	*South African Open Woolhandling Final* 1st Leanne Peeti (New Zealand) 2nd Tina Rimene (New Zealand) 3rd Aroha Garvin (Australia)

Bloemfontein, South Africa	March 23-25 - 2000
Results: 2000 World Championships	World Championships Statistics

Sports Shear Australian Team Dominates 2000 Golden Shears World Championships
The Victorious Australian Team;	Shearers:	Woolhandlers:
	Shannon Warnest, Ross Thompson	Eileen Evans, Aroha Garvin
Judges	Shearing: Joe Duff	Woolhandling: Tony Abbey
Manager/Coach	Peter Black