Dalla scoops seventh shearing title

The 26-year-old shore his two sheep in 8 minutes and three seconds to score 44.15, placing him well ahead of nearest rival Ken French, Glenisla near Cavendish, Vic.

Mr Dalla, from the Orrie Cowie stud, said it was a good feeling driving home realising he had won another national title - his fifth in a row.

He said blade shearing remained a huge part of the stud industry with top show and sale rams all shorn this way.

"The better I get at it the better our rams will be, and competing is a great way to benchmark where you are at," Mr Dalla said.

"It is something that I enjoy and something I happen to be good at."

In the open machine shearing final, NSW-based Daniel McIntyre, Glen Innes, defended his title, edging out two-time world champion and multiple national winner Shannon Warnest, Willalooka.

Mr McIntyre shore his eight Merinos and four crossbreds in 20 minutes and 47 seconds, pulling out of gear two minutes ahead of Mr Warnest who had fewer board penalties - 75 versus 92 - before other penalties were tallied.

Fellow SA shearer Justin Dolphin, Naracoorte, placed third.

All three open shearers will represent Australia at the Golden Shears in Masterton, NZ, in March next year and at the Nationals in Warialda, NSW, in October 2016.

The top two wool handlers were Rachael Hutchison, Gilgandra, NSW, and Angela Wakely, Dubbo, NSW.

Mr Warnest also won the Mark Conlan medal for the highest ranking Australian in the Trans Tasman event - a quest to win the Walker Keats Cup.

He was competing in a remarkable 26th Trans Tasman Test - the competition which pits the best Australians against New Zealanders.

SA's success included Alex Maynard, Manoora, and Steve Mudge, Poochera, who placed second and third in the senior shearing final.

Tegan Watts, Poochera, won the novice wool handling.

Sports Shear Australia Association chairman Steph Brooker-Jones was pleased to see six states represented and more than 300 people at the event which included juniors for the first time.

"Our competition is based on best practice and the AWEX code of practice for wool preparation so the wool handlers are ensuring lines of wool are prepared well," she said.

A highlight was the development classes with many novice, intermediate and senior wool handlers and shearers grateful to have been given the opportunity to experience the excitement of a national event.