The competition organised by the Sheep Shearers' Association of Euskal Herria will be held at the Abadiño probaleku
- For the first time in history there will be a Basque Country shearing champion
- The nine people who will represent Euskal Herria at the world championship in New Zealand in March 2026 will be selected
- The full day’s programme will also include competitions between shearers from Euskal Herria and from abroad
The first Basque Country Sheep Shearing Championship will be held on 27 September at the Abadiño probaleku. The championship, organised by the Sheep Shearers’ Association of Euskal Herria (EAME), will have a generous full-day programme, including competitions, demonstrations and other activities from 8:00 in the morning to 20:00 in the evening. Among other things, there will be a fair of sheep and wool products. It will be a perfect chance to enjoy the day with friends or family.
There will be five competitions in all: the Basque Country Championship, the blades final, Senior, Open and the international final. There will be a chance to see shearers from Euskal Herria and from abroad compete, among them shearers from Spain, France and Scotland. Around 50 shearers are expected to shear 700 sheep.
In the morning, at the launch held beside the Abadiño probaleku, the organisers, sponsors and supporters of the championship gave the details. Those present included: Joseba Attard, president of the Sheep Shearers’ Association of Euskal Herria (EAME); Angel Gurrutxaga, president of EKFB-Union of Basque Sports Federations; Gorka Iturriaga, director of Physical Activity and Sport of the Basque Government; Arantza Atutxa, provincial minister for the Promotion of the Natural Environment and Agriculture of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia; Andoni Agirrebeitia, director of Agriculture of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia; Xabier Arruti, provincial minister for Green Territorial Balance of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa; Arantza Ariztimuño, director of Agriculture and Territorial Balance of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa; Rafa Bilbao, councillor of Abadiño Town Council; Unzalu Salterain, head of EHNE Bizkaia; Juan Mari Tortorika, manager of Urkiola Rural Development; Txomin Uharte, mayor of Uharte-Arakil; Aitor Sola, mayor of Erromantzazu; and Patxi Gaztelumendi, spokesperson for Gu ere bai!.
Basque Country Championship
For the first time in history, 2025 will have a Basque Country shearing champion. The championship will follow the international rules set by the World Council, and between 8 and 10 international judges will assess the shearers’ work. The head judge will be the Scotsman Robbie Hislop.
What is more, the Basque Country Championship will serve as the trial to select those who will take part in the Golden Shears World Championship, to be held from 4 to 7 March 2026 in Masterton, New Zealand.
The team representing Euskal Herria at the world championship will be made up of nine people: two machine shearers, two blade shearers, two wool handlers, the team manager, the judge and the coach.
There are three disciplines in which the shearers will compete at the Basque Country championship: machine, blades and wool handling. In the machine discipline the fleece is removed with an electric machine; in the blades discipline the fleece is shorn with hand blades; and in wool handling the work is the process of sorting the shorn fleece so that it is ready for commercial use.
Basque shearers will also compete on the following dates and at the following venues in 2025 and 2026:
2025
- 5 April: Le Merle (France). Machine and blades.
- 2-13 July: Boussac (France). Machine and wool handling.
- 19 July: Martel (France). Machine and blades.
- 25-26 July: Corwen Shears (Wales). Machine, blades and wool handling.
- 16 August: Speed Shear (Zugarramurdi-Euskal Herria). Machine.
- 31 August: Artzai Eguna (Uharte-Arakil-Euskal Herria). Machine.
- 27 September: Basque Country Championship (Abadiño-Euskal Herria). Machine, blades and wool handling.
2026
- 4-7 March: Golden Shears World Championship (Masterton-New Zealand). Machine, blades and wool handling.
The Euskal Herria team
We represent Euskal Herria at international sheep shearing events and championships. In 2023 the Golden Shears World Council agreed unanimously to give Euskal Herria the chance to compete alongside the other countries, Spain and France among them. It is a historic milestone.
Our team will be made up of shearers from the seven provinces of Euskal Herria. We will be able to take part both in the international circuit and in the world championship held every three years, as Euskal Herria-Basque Country. For us shearers it is an honour to represent our country: to be the showcase of our values, our character and our identity.
Types of competition
Broadly speaking there are four kinds of competition: Speed Shear, Test Match, championships and the world championship. In Speed Shear competitions the shearers work one at a time, to see who is fastest. Quality counts too. For the last two years this kind of competition has been held in Zugarramurdi, and this year it will be held there again in mid-August. Shearers usually need around 15 seconds to take the fleece off a sheep.
A Test Match is where the host nation invites another country to a head-to-head challenge. In 2024, France invited Euskal Herria. Joseba Ugalde, from Zornotza, and Laurent Paris, from Hazparne, represented Euskal Herria for the first time.
Championships are the usual sheep shearing competitions, run to international standards and including different disciplines and categories. Competitions like the Basque Country Championship.
Finally there is the world championship, the biggest of them all, held every three years. The event alternates between the northern and southern hemispheres. It usually lasts two or three days. In the finals of the main championships, each shearer shears 20 sheep in 15 minutes.