English team win international sheep shearing contest at Balmoral Show (1966)
A highlight of Balmoral Show on the second day of the show at the end of May 1966 was the International Sheep Shearing competition. Farming Life noted that it had been the first time it had been staged in Northern Ireland since the competition had begun four years previously.
Teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland took part, and it was a major triumph for the three man England team.
They literally swept the boards in the three sections of the event, winning the team award, the best individual award and the prize for the wrapping and condition of fleeces.
The 1965 winners, Wales, finished in second, and only Scotland failed to have a placing in any of the sections.
But the Northern Ireland team also performed well in the International Sheep Shearing competition, it was noted. They finished a close third in the team section, Maurice Megahey, Ligoniel, Belfast, came second in the individual placings and team-mate, Edwin Adams, Macosquin, was joint third.
It was a first time all round success for the England team. They had never before had a top placing in any of the three sections. Their 31-year-old team captain, Ivan Lloyd from Hertfordshire, won the J Mansel Hopkins Cup with maximum marks of 30 in the fleece wrapping and he and team-mate Alex Polle from Kent tied, for the British Milk Marketing Trophy for the best individual shearer. Each had 89 points.
A crowd of about 600 packed the sale ring building to watch the competition and were treated to two hours of speed and skill by the competitors. Average shearing time was around four minutes.
Mr J M Thompson, who presented the awards, said the society greatly appreciated the staging of the competition at Balmoral and hoped that when Northern Ireland's time came again in four years they would again choose the showgrounds venue.
The event was organised by Mr Sandy Gibson, chairman of the sheep committee of the RUAS.
The judges for the competition were Mr A B Coleman, Filey, East Yorkshire, and Mr J E Roberts, Forden, Montgomeryshire.
During the competition commentaries were given by representatives of Lister and Sunbeam, which provided the shearing equipment used.
Results team event - W J Constable Perpetual Challenge Trophy, 1, England, 253 (I Lloyd, I S Mills, A F Polle); 2, Wales, 238 (S Lloyd, R Preece, J Langford); 3, Northern Ireland, 236 (Edwin Adams, Coleraine; Jim Allen, Moira, and Maurice Megahey).
Individual - 1 (tie), I Lloyd and A F Polle (England); 2, M Megahey (Northern Ireland); 3 (tie), E Adams (Northern Ireland) and S Lloyd (Wales).
The rest to fo