THE action was fast and frenetic as some of the region's finest sheep shearers went all out for victory at the Oswestry Show.

Large crowds gathered throughout the day to watch contenders battle it out in junior, intermediate, senior and open categories.

Around 60 shearers - hailing mostly from North Wales and Shropshire - took part and the stakes were higher than ever, with points counting towards the Welsh Lamb Shearing Circuit standings.

Crowds saw around 600 sheep being sheared in total -with numbers in each heat ranging from between two and four in the juniors to up to 20 in the open, where the most experienced shearers showcase their skills.

The action in each category includes initial rounds semi finals and finals. Judges take into account the time taken to shear the sheep, deducting points for any faults.

Jim Butler, one of the event's officials, said that the standard of competition throughout the day had been "very, very good".

Sheep shearing is one of the main attractions at the Oswestry Show, and the action held spectators' attention throughout several hours of spirited competition.

Mr Butler explained competitive sheep shearing's appeal as a spectator event.

"It's always popular, I think people see livestock and see how it's done. You get a lot of people who wouldn't know how to shear a sheep, so it's good for the general public," he said

"You get farmers of course, but it's very popular with the general public."