Perth Royal Show: Top gun shearer Damien Boyle wins 26th open title

Broomehill shearer Damien Boyle took out his 26th Perth Royal open shearing title as he battled it out “blow for blow” on the boards at the WA Competitive Shearing Association’s circuit.

The one and only Perth-based competition, held on September 27 at the Claremont Showgrounds, was the third WACSA event for the 2025-26 season after the Corrigin and Koorda Shears were held earlier this month.

There were a total of 40 shearers and 30 woolhandlers at the Perth Royal Show this year, with a few of WA’s best unable to participate due to injury.

Boyle said the Perth Royal Show clean shears was the “one to win”, for its high-profile status in drawing top-gun talent from both the Eastern States and New Zealand.

With a big crowd of on-lookers, including city folk, the Perth clean shears competition has also been instrumental in educating the non-farming community about the special art of shearing a Merino and how important it is to maintain a high standard of wool harvesting skills for the Australian wool industry.

Shearing commentator Sarah Buscumb said it was critical Australian continued to produce the world’s best Merino wool to the world consumers — keeping woolgrowers progressive and profitable.

The Perth clean shears competition attracted Australia’s number one wool handler Alexander Schoff, of Queensland, who has been at the top level with his passion and dedication.

“I was at my best in the open woolhandling final, but I am honoured to bow to one of WA’s best,” he said.

Shearing

Boyle shouted out “I still got it” when he won his 26th open Perth clean shears title.

The Broomehill woolgrower said it was a “fantastic” win and enables him to share his passion for the shearing industry with all the competitors, particularly the youth to which he aims to inspire.

“My proudest moment was to watch my daughter, Abby, win her first novice shearing title at the show,” he said.

Abby Boyle shore two “kind” sheep in a “quicker” time of 13.19 seconds and had the lowest penalty points of 13 to take the novice win.

Her proud father Damien has been flawless in his clean shearing skills and the Perth competition was his third victory in succession this season with wins at both Corrigin and Koorda.

Damien said it was essential for shearer starters to learn the proper techniques of shearing at the beginning, which had contributed to his wins on the boards and his astute prowess as a woolgrower.

“I was taught properly by my father and Abby has followed our family’s long tradition of “getting the shearing right,” he said.

Abby said her first Perth clean shears win was “amazing” and brought her more confidence to continue to achieve higher skills.

“Shearing means so much to my family — we love Merino wool,” she said.

Damien won by two points at Perth, shearing 10 Merino hoggets in a time of 20 minutes and 4 seconds and obtaining the lowest penalty points of 20 to score 71.90 total points with his nearest rival Kyle Newby on 73.45 points.

Woolhandling

Karlgarin woolhandler Kelly Moir stepped up to the high-level competition to to take the open woolhandling win by one point from Schoff, who finished second.

Moir said she was “amazed” to win the open woolhandling in a very challenging field with strong competition from some of Australia’s best.

“My positive mindset and dedication to improve my skills was the contributing factor to my performance,” she said.

“With Alexander in the competition, it brought me to rise to my best skills.

“Although I have been in the sheep industry all my life, I didn’t start woolhandling professionally until 2002.”

Moir started her competitive woolhandling rise to the top in 2006.

She works at DPIRD’s Katanning Research Station as a sheep technical officer.

Mr Schoff said his final in the woolhandling competition was at a consistent quality pace.

“I was at my best ability,” he said.

While Ms Moir was competing at the top level at Perth, Abby Boyle recently began her senior woolhandling competition and the 19-year-old finished in a respectable fourth place.

She was the only Perth clean shears and woolhandling competition dual entrant in both shearing and woolhandling.

“Combining shearing with woolhandling — there two different things, but I was very excited about the challenge, and it built my confidence level,” Ms Boyle said.

PERTH ROYAL SHOW SHEARING & WOOL HANDLING COMPETITION

Novice Shearing

1st: Abby Boyle

2nd: Ryan Steele

3rd: Tasmin Mackay

4th: George Theron

5th: Paul Hansen

6th: Carly Ballantyne

Intermediate Shearing

1st: Dylan Weko

2nd: Caiden Cox

3rd: Shane Argent

4th: Jake Noakes

5th: Rico Roberts

6th: Cooper McCuish

Senior Shearing

1st: Joseph Brown

2nd: Blake McFarlane

3rd: Ethan Gellatly

4th: Trevor Gellatly

5th: Kim Turvey

6th: Peter Noakes

Open Shearing

1st: Damien Boyle

2nd: Kyle Newby

3rd: Jack Fagan

4th: Beau Guelfi

5th: Mark Buscumb

6th: James Kilkpatrick

Novice Woolhandling

1st: Georgia Blane

2nd: Grace Fisher

3rd: Annabelle Buscumb

4th: Bella Noble

Senior Woolhandling

1st: Moetahi Taingahue

2nd: Tira Ngarangione

3rd: Mikayla Reihana

4th: Abby Boyle

Open Woolhandling

1st: Kelly Moir

2nd: Alexander Schoff

3rd: Janelle Hauti

4th: Lee Gray