The Greatest Sports Documentary Never Made (Yet)

Or: Why nobody’s filmed the Super Bowl of Sheep Shearing – and why they absolutely should.

Getting a documentary greenlit can feel like juggling flaming knives.

You have an idea, do the research, cast some great characters, put together a fancy deck, even shoot some taster footage. People like it. People smile. Some even say, “Oh, I love that!” But then comes the inevitable pause. A polite nod. A subtle sidestep into, “What else are you working on?”

Of course, my pain is dwarfed by those who work in documentary development full-time. They’re some of the brightest in the industry — always under pressure to deliver so that production companies can stay afloat and freelancers can pay their mortgage — but if their ideas get to screen, it’s others who take the credit and collect the awards.

So this week, I’ve decided to pitch in public. Why? Because sharing is caring, and there’s no point letting decent ideas sit in your Google Docs folder when they could at least get a little sunlight.

The premise? Well… it’s sheep shearing. You won’t find many sheep shearers on TikTok. There’s no cold-blooded killer, no international cartel, no trending hashtag. But it has soul, sweat, speed. A very sharp blade. And it’s a crazy insight into a subculture that’s both ancient and hyper-modern.

If you’re a commissioner, you know how to reach me… and if you plan to nick this, at least change the title.

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Blood, Sweat & Shears

The world’s fastest hands. The toughest bodies. The ultimate battle for woolly glory.

Sheep shearing isn’t just a job - it’s a test of speed, endurance, and sheer willpower. And for the world’s best, it’s an obsession.

Every three years, the planet’s elite shearers go head-to-head at the Golden Shears World Championships - the single most prestigious, brutal, and unpredictable event in competitive shearing. This is where legends are made, records are shattered, and reputations are destroyed in seconds. Winning here doesn’t just mean glory - it cements a shearer’s place in history. For those who enter, it’s everything. For those who lose, it’s back to the sheds, back to the grind, back to waiting for another shot.

Blood, Sweat & Shears is a gripping, character-driven documentary following a cast of shearers on their journey to the Golden Shears World Championships. Think Drive to Survive meets One Man and His Dog - an adrenaline-fueled, deeply human look at the high-stakes world of professional shearing. From the unforgiving shearing sheds of Australia and New Zealand to the rolling hills of Scotland and Wales, this film dives into the nomadic, gladiatorial world of these competitors, exploring their intense rivalries, gruelling training regimens, and the all-consuming pursuit of perfection.

THE SPORT, THE SPECTACLE, THE SHEARERS

Competitive shearing is not for the weak. It’s a relentless, back-breaking battle against the clock, the animal, and the body’s own limits. Shearers bend double for hours, manhandling 80kg of pure muscle and instinct, shearing at breakneck speed while avoiding a single cut, a single mistake. Every second counts. Every move is judged. Every failure is punished.

At the 2024 Golden Shears World Championships in Edinburgh:

• Wales’ Gwion Lloyd Evans tore through the field to claim the Machine Shearing World Champion title, his precision and speed proving unstoppable.

• South Africa’s Bonile Rabela mastered the Blade Shearing World Champion title, showcasing the time-honoured skill of hand-shearing.

• Scottish powerhouse Una Cameron smashed the women’s nine-hour strong wool ewe record, shearing an astonishing 517 sheep - a feat once thought impossible.

And then there are the judges, shearing purists with laser eyes and zero tolerance. Every sheep must be clean, smooth, and perfect. One wrong move - a deep cut, an unfinished patch of wool - and the points disappear. With national pride on the line, accusations of foul play, rivalry, and mind games are never far away.

BEYOND THE SHOW RING

But the Golden Shears is just one part of the story. To get there, shearers must live the life - a nomadic, all-weather, all-hours existence that takes them from the blistering heat of Australia’s red-dust outback to the freezing winds of Scotland’s rugged highlands. They travel where the sheep are, following the shearing seasons across the globe in search of work, competition, and camaraderie.

Their world is one of long days, hard graft, and relentless pressure, but also of tradition, skill, and an unbreakable bond between those who live by the shears. To survive, they must master the Bowen Technique - the legendary shearing stance that allows champions to work faster, longer, and cleaner than the competition. Get it right, and you’re a machine. Get it wrong, and you’ll break before the sheep do.

This is more than a job. More than a sport. It’s a way of life.

THE FINAL SHOWDOWN

As the Golden Shears World Championships draw closer, the pressure mounts. We follow our shearers as they prepare, pushing their bodies to the limit, sharpening their skills, and dealing with the personal sacrifices that come with chasing greatness.

Some will rise. Some will fall. But all will endure the test of speed, skill, and stamina.

Because for these competitors, there is no second place.

There is only the perfect cut.

And for those who live by the blade, the mantra remains the same:
“Have sheep - will shear.”

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