Let’s flock ‘n’ roll: The Golden Shears returns to the RHS
The Golden Shears World Sheep Shearing & Woolhandling Championships is returning to the Royal Highland Show in June after 20 years.
Held in the MacRobert Theatre, more than 35 countries from across the world will battle it out to see who is the fastest sheep shearer and who has the best woolhandling technique.
The highly-anticipated event will feature 39 decorated sheep sculptures that are currently on tour across Scotland in the Flock to the Show public art trail.
The Scotsman is the media partner for both events and the Royal Highland Show is held from 22 to 25 June.
Visit the website at royalhighlandshow.org
Meet the artist
Michael graduated from the University of Plymouth in 2010 after studying illustration.
Living on the island, Michael volunteered for Jersey Heritage where he took part in a variety of projects including designing and illustrating the successful Jersey Heritage and Culture Maps guidebook.
Published in 2017, it has now sold over 1,000 copies. The success of the book opened up commissions and exhibitions.
From illustrating tea towels to Christmas cards, children’s artworks to home illustrations, Michael’s focus is mainly on buildings and atmospheric landscapes with inspiration from 1940s Neo-Romanticists.
He says,: “Wallace showcases major Scottish landmarks, from the Wallace Monument itself to the majestic Balmoral Castle, which is rather appropriate with its royal ties.
Using his unique style, Michael expresses the beauty of Scotland’s hills, trees, and streams through his talented application of acrylics and ink.
Wallace
Wallace by Michael Ferns seeks to highlight how seriously climate change is affecting Scottish farmers and crop production, through the increased frequency of extreme weather events in recent years, such as storms, flooding and drought, which damage crops and cause soil erosion.
Climate change is already having a significant impact on crop production in Scotland.
Rising temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns can also affect the timing and quality of crop growth, posing further challenges for farmers.
To combat these grave challenges, Scottish farmers are adopting a range of strategies, such as implementing more sustainable land management practices, planting new woodlands, developing crop varieties that are better adapted to changing environmental conditions, and investing in renewable energy and other low-carbon technologies to reduce greenhouse gas.
Meet the sponsor
The MacRobert Trust performs three roles – a dynamic charity, owner of an historic legacy, and forward-thinking landlord with a large and vibrant estate to manage.
Since it began 80 years ago, the trust has donated millions of pounds to charitable organisations, created a variety of prizes, awards, traineeships and endowments, and paid for building works across the country.
It has a very long relationship with the RHS which encompasses many prizes at the show, the MacRobert Theatre (where the Golden Shears is to take place) and, until recently, the MacRobert Pavilion.
The MacRobert Trust said: “Agriculture, farming and rural skills have been all too easily forgotten and we should take every opportunity to remind everyone where their food comes from and what it takes to produce it.”
Find your fleece
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