New Zealand Merino Shearing Championship publicity officer Mervyn Kinaston expects the Alexandra event will be well supported by shearers and woolhandlers from around the country.
He said world shearing champion Cam Ferguson, based in Hawkes Bay but shearing in Central Otago at the moment, had indicated he would like to add the merino shearing national title to those he already holds.
Ferguson (26) was the youngest winner of this country's premier shearing event, the Golden Shears, earlier this year.
Prizes worth $15,000 are at stake in the two-day competition, along with several national titles.
Now that the Waitaki Mackenzie Merino Shears (formerly known as the Omarama Shears) has been cancelled, the Alexandra event is the only merino shearing contest in the country.
"Our contest usually attracts all the top shearers and woolhandlers from around the country and we're lucky with the support we get, from competitors and sponsors, Mr Kinaston said.
"We get most of the 'name' shearers competing .
"The support hasn't fluctuated much at all, even with the downturn in the wool industry."
Last year's open shearing winner was Nathan Stratford, of Invercargill.
Tina Rimene, of Alexandra, won the open woolhandling title.
The contest is the only compulsory round in the PGG Wrightson national shearing championship.
Prize-money was boosted to $15,000 last year, up from $11,800 in 2008, Mr Kinaston said.
The open shearing title winner will receive $1700 in cash and a shearing hand-piece worth $800, while the top woolhandler will receive $1200 cash.
The criteria for the teams' event have changed this year.
Teams now have to comprise an open shearer, one lower-graded shearer, one open woolhandler and a lower-graded woolhandler.
"That way, it opens it up to senior and junior woolhandlers and senior shearers, so they get a chance to compete alongside the open shearers and woolhandlers."
Mr Kinaston said as soon as this year's event was over, a committee would be formed to look into how next year's milestone occasion - the 50th- would be celebrated.
"We haven't decided yet what form that will take, but it will be marked in some manner."
