This Saturday sees the Isle of Man Young Farmers Clubs Third Annual International Shearing Competition at Ballasteen in Andreas. From its start at Knockaloe three years ago this event has grown to be the Young Farmers second biggest event of the year only topped by the concert and each year has seen more and more competitors flocking to the Island from all over the world. Just as the arrival of swallows herald the coming of summer so does the shearing of sheep waving goodbye to their winter coats. This Highly skilled job goes to a few men and women who also migrate as swallows following the summer from New Zealand and Australia in the winter up through Africa Europe to Britain then back through America to start the whole cycle again. Where once this task would have been carried out using hand shears or Jouish in Manx, its now done with a machine but is still a back breakingly hard job. Saturday will see some of the worlds best competitors on the Island, not since the famous New Zealand shearer Godfrey Bowen himself visited the Island in the fifties demonstrating the system that made him a byword for shearing has there been so much talent on show from all parts of the globe including many of our own home grown talent up against the best the world has to offer. The shearing shed right on the road not far from the Grosvenor Pub in Andreas will be a hive of activity from early on Saturday morning as the sheep are sorted in to lots for the heats which start at eleven o'clock then its all go till the Shearer's who are graded on their experience in to four heats work there way through upto six hundred sheep reach the finals at approx four o'clock. This event which is completely free to enter and has refreshments available all day is then topped of by the Aftershears party in Andreas Parish hall from 8.30 till late tickets for which are available on the day so bring the whole family along for a great day of entertainment. ENDS