Counting sheep just got a lot more colourful

09 Apr 2026

The 2026 Golden Shears competition unveiled a vibrant flock of sheep at the north entrance to Masterton. Celebrating the international shearing community, ‘Flock of Champions’ reflects the town’s proud rural heritage and home of the Golden Shears. 

Local artists worked hard in the months leading up to the competition to present a flock of brightly painted life-sized sheep sculptures in a multitude of Resene colours.

One of the artists, Ali, says she was rather amused at the idea of a bunch of colourful sheep in the centre of Masterton, and seeing the 12 large, naked sculptures in the storage shed led everybody wondering how they would bring them to life.

“Over the 3 months, I got to know the other 11 artists as we worked for hours at a time, sometimes crawling on our hands and knees to reach the underbellies of our beloved sheep,” she says. “We laughed at the stories we shared and at the silly ideas we had. Slowly, with support from each-other and from Resene, we brought each sheep to life, hoping we were able to clearly illustrate the country that we had been randomly allocated.”

Each member of the flock sports a unique hand painted fleece inspired by 12 nations that share a long history of competing at the Golden Shears.

“Each sheep now has its own story, name and personality,” says Ali. “It was a fun, shared experience and I am proud of the work we have done. I have learnt more about the value of art and the importance of teamwork in the last few months that I could have imagined.”

The artwork was commissioned by Masterton Trust Lands Trust (MTLT), with support from Masterton District Council, Trust House and Resene.

“We saw this year’s double billing of the Golden Shears and hosting of the World Championships as a unique chance to create something big, bold and beautiful for Masterton,” says Trust chair Christine Brewster at the unveiling ceremony. “‘Flock of Champions’ was a true community effort. It honours the global reach of the shearing community.”

The artists behind the flock include Natasha Priddle for Australia, Katie Gracie for Aotearoa NZ, Barbara Caffell for England, Jane Sinclair for France, Paul Gadsby for Germany, Bernie Nannestad for Norway, Sandra McNab for Republic of Ireland, Alexandra Gordon for Scotland, Lotte Hawley for South Africa, Ian Chapman and Linda Tilyard for Spain, Adrian Jackman for USA, and Janey Halliday for Wales.

‘Flock of Champions’ can be found on the grass at the north end of Dixon Street, between the swimming pool and roundabout.

Published: 09 Apr 2026