Gwion gears up for Golden Shears

Gwion Evans is a name known to many in sheep farming, but everyone in shearing circles.

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‘The Golden Shears, the world sheep shearing competition, was held at the Royal Highland Show in 2023 and here, beating off fierce competition from around the world, Gwion, pictured, was victorious in being named Champion Shearer of the World in the individual machine category. He also took the team championship with Richard Jones from Glyndyfrdwy, Denbighshire, who for most of his competitive shearing career had been his biggest rival.

To prepare for the competition, he headed to Scotland to shear which allowed him to acclimatise and get used to the breed to be used in the competition - the Scottish Blackface.

Gwion says: “The Blackie is quite similar to the Welsh, which is what we are used to in our part of the world, but with the addition of horns. But they gave us Cheviots to shear in the final, which are even more like Welsh, so suited me perfectly.

“The crowd was electric and really spurred me on through the competition, especially in the final, thanks to the significant attendance of my friends and family and other Welsh supporters who raised the roof of the shed.”

‘This was Gwion’s second world championship, having also competed in New Zealand in 2017 where he placed eighth and made the team final alongside Ian Jones.

Having won the most points on the Welsh shearing circuit this year, Gwion will head back to New Zealand at 36 years old in March 2026 to protect his title at the home of Golden Shears in Masterton alongside this year’s Champion Shearer of Wales, Llyr Jones.

Gwion says: “I am looking forward to heading to New Zealand, a country I have spent a lot of time in and will spend five weeks there getting used to the sheep and the weather.”

‘The individual competition will see competitors shear 20 sheep each, while in the team contest shearers will shear 10 per person. Throughout, scoring will be based both on speed and quality of finish.