In partnership with Falkland Islands Development Corporation (FIDC), Falkland Shears Committee successfully hosted the first ever Tri-Nations International Shearing and Wool Handling Test competition in Stanley on Friday, 14 November, which saw the national teams from the Falkland Islands, Wales, and Chile compete in “round robin” style matchups between each nation.
In a thrilling display over the course of one day, with mere points separating first, second, and third, the Tri-Nations International Shearing and Wool Handling Test competition saw the Falkland Islands compete against teams from Wales and Chile, several members having competed in the 2023 Golden Shears Shearing and Wool Handling World Championships held in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Wales took the top prize in both the Tri-Nations test shearing and wool handling events, with the Falkland Islands in second, and Chile in third. Falkland Islands representatives were Evan Jones and Adam Dickson as their shearers, with Pilar Castro and Holly Turner as the wool handlers. The team manager for the Falkland Islands is Richard Short.
Representing Wales as shearers were the 2023 Golden Shears Machine Shearing World Champion Gwion Evans, and National Champion Llyr Jones. Alongside were wool handlers Sarah Rees and Jessica Morgan, the former a 2023 Golden Shears Wool Handling team champion. The team manager for Wales is Rhys Jones.
Representing Chile were shearers Kenneth MacLeod and Jorge Caracamo, alongside wool handlers Camila Quinteros Peñafiel and Archie Sepulveda. Together, the team from Chile represent one of the top teams in South America.
Winners of the test match received a total prize of £8,000, which was sponsored by Consolidated Fisheries Limited (CFL), with £4,000 awarded to both winning shearers and wool handlers separately. Second place winners received a total of £4,000, which was sponsored by Falkland Islands Company (FIC). Third place winners received a total of £1,000, which was sponsored by Falkland Shears.
Winners of the test match received a total prize of £8,000, which was sponsored by Consolidated Fisheries Limited (CFL), with £4,000 awarded to both winning shearers and wool handlers separately. Second place winners received a total of £4,000, which was sponsored by Falkland Islands Company (FIC). Third place winners received a total of £1,000, which was sponsored by Falkland Shears.
Tri-Nations & Annual Shearing Competition
With more than 450 spectators, and with additional 4,000 tuning in on the livestream from Falkland Islands Film Company, the crowd was ready for the Tri-Nations International Shearing and Wool Handling Test Match and Annual Competition.
Prized Winners
Shearing Test:
| Place | Country | Represented by |
| 1st | Wales | Gwion Evans & Llyr Jones |
| 2nd | Falkland Islands | Adam Dickson & Evan Jones |
| 3rd | Chile | Jorge Caracamo & Kenny MacLeod |
Wool Handling Test:
| Place | Country | Represented by |
| 1st | Wales | Sarah Rees & Jessica Morgan |
| 2nd | Falkland Islands | Pilar Castro & Holly Turner |
| 3rd | Chile | Camila Quinteros & Archie Sepulveda |
Tri-Nations Shearing Test
The Tri-Nations test featured three (3) rounds of shearing.
In the first shearing round, Wales and Chile faced each other, resulting in Wales winning with a score of 143.93 points shared between Llyr Jones and Gwion Evans, and Chile scoring 176.90 points shared between Jorge Caracamo and Kenny MacLeod.
The second round featured Falkland Islands and Wales, in which Falkland Islands won, scoring 128.15 points, shared between Evan Jones and Adam Dickson. Wales scored 141.65.
The third round featured Falkland Islands and Chile. Falkland Islands won, scoring 124.93 points, and Chile scoring 188.75.
With Chile knocked out, Wales and the Falkland Islands advanced to the finals.
Heading into the final, the Falkland Islands over two (2) rounds scored 253.08 points, best of all teams, with Wales scoring 285.58 points, and Chile 365.65.
The final saw Wales prevail, with just 6.74 points separating both teams, as Wales came out on top with a clutch moment from World Champion Gwion Evans putting in an amazing performance and securing the win for Wales.
The Falkland Islands ended with 153.10 points, with Adam Dickson 74.66, and Evan Jones 78.44.
Wales totalled 146.36 points, with Gwion Evans scored 68.06, and Llyr Jones 78.30 points.
Tri-Nations Wool Handling Test
The Tri-Nations test featured three (3) rounds of wool handling.
In the wool handling first round, Wales and Chile faced each other, with Chile scoring 146.30 points, and Wales 165.80.
The second round saw Wales and the Falkland Islands, with the Falkland Islands winning with 100.40 points, and Wales 155.40 points.
For the third round, the Falkland Islands and Chile faced each other, with the Falkland Islands again winning with a score of 88.60, and Chile 184.80 points.
With Chile knocked out, the Falkland Islands and Wales advanced to the final.
At the end of the opening rounds, the Falkland Islands scored 189.00, achieving the best score of all teams, followed by Wales with 321.20 points, and Chile with 331.10.
The final saw Wales prevail, but only just, beating the Falkland Islands by just 7 points. During the final, Wales scored 140.30 points, and the Falkland Islands 147.30 points.
Falkland Shears Annual Competition
In addition to the Tri-Nations International Test, a total of 40 competitors participated in the Open events, with 20 wool handling entries, and 20 shearing entries, as part of Falkland Shears Annual Competition.
Shearing Open:
| Place | Name | |
| 1st | Gwion Evans | (Wales Tri-Nations Team) |
| 2nd | Adam Dickson | (Falkland Islands Tri-Nations Team) |
| 3rd | Evan Jones | (Falkland Islands Tri-Nations Team) |
| 4th | Llyr Jones | (Wales Tri-Nations Team) |
Wool Handling Open:
| Place | Name |
| 1st | Kayleigh Anderson |
| 2nd | Bekka Phillips |
| 3rd | Fayan Alazia |
| 4th | Kursha Lloyd |
Open Shearing Event
The Open Shearing saw Gwion Evans (Wales) come 1st, scoring 64.923 points, and Adam Dickson (Falkland Islands) placing 2nd scoring 71.25. Evan Jones (Falkland Islands) was not far behind, coming 3rd with a score of 71.83 points, only separating him by 0.58 points from Llyr Jones (Wales), who placed 4th with 72.35 points.
Open Wool Handling Event
The Open Wool Handling saw Kayleigh Anderson (Falkland Islands) take 1st place, with an incredible performance, scoring 97.30 points, followed by Bekka Phillips (Falkland Islands) in 2nd, scoring 108.40 points. Fayan Alazia (Falkland Islands) was not far off, scoring 110.40 points, and placing 3rd. Kursha Lloyd (Falkland Islands) placed 4th, scoring 190.20 points.
In addition to the Tri-Nations International Shearing and Wool Handling Test competition, the Falkland Islands hosted the respective teams in the days leading up to the match, which culminated with a closing reception at Government House, hosted by Governor Colin Martin-Reynolds.
Welcome Reception at the Narrows
On Monday, 10 November, Falkland Shears hosted a welcome reception at the Narrows Bar & Restaurant for the arrival of both the Wales and Chile teams. Several members of the Falkland Islands, Chile, and Wales teams met for the first time alongside sponsors and wool producers of the Falkland Islands.
Port Howard Friendly Shear
The Wales team travelled to Port Howard (West Falkland) on Tuesday, 11 November via ferry, where they had a chance to see West Falklands, and enjoy a friendly shear and practice in the leadup to the test competition, as well as the opportunity to better understand the uniqueness of wool handling in the Falkland Islands.
Fitzroy Speed Shear
On Wednesday 12 November, several members of the Falkland Islands, Wales, and Chile teams participated in a friendly speed shear, which took place at Fitzroy Farm.
More than 100 attended the speed shear, which consisted of an opening round, semi-final, and final for competitors. The semi-finalists Llyr Jones (Wales), Evan Jones (Falkland Islands), Lee Molkenbuhr (Falkland Islands), and Stefen Turner (Falkland Islands).
Lee Molkenbuhr and Stefen Turner came in 3rd and 4th, respectively, and Llyr Jones and Evan Jones battled it out in the final. With less than one second separating the two, Llyr Jones came out on top, taking first place, while Evan Jones placed second.
Government House Reception
On Monday, 17 November, Falkland Shears, FIDC, all Tri-Nations participating teams, sponsors and friends attended the Government House Reception to close out the events, which gave the competitors the opportunity to meet with Governor Colin Martin-Reynolds. The governor marked the occasion by congratulating and thanking the competitors and all supporters involved in the successful inaugural competition.
The Falkland Shears took the opportunity to present Gwion Evans (Wales) with the Open Shear competition trophy, awarded to the winner of the Annual Competition.
Falkland Shears and FIDC also took the opportunity to acknowledge and thank all the volunteers, judges, wool and sheep handlers, sponsors, and all those that helped in ensuring a successful inaugural Tri-Nations International Test match.
The Wales team also took the opportunity to present Falkland Shears with a commemorative plaque specifically for the competition, made of Welsh slate that features the flags of the Falkland Islands, Wales, and Chile.
