Thousands of sheep to take over New Zealand town
28 Mar 2008
The small New Zealand town of Te Kuiti - in the North Island's King Country - will soon be overrun with thousands of sheep charging down the main street.
The ‘Running of the Sheep’ is an annual event that marks the end of the New Zealand Shearing Championships held in the Waikato town.
A team of shepherds, working dogs and quad bikes will guide the sheep for the 1km dash through town, with thousands of spectators expected. Te Kuiti is the self-proclaimed sheep capital of the world. The town’s sheep run is thought to be the largest of its kind in the world.
''It started off as wild an idea as the sheep on that first run, but now it’s become a recognisable iconic part of the event,'' says champion sport shearer David Fagan.
"We want to show people the real grass-roots, rural New Zealand."
Sheep counting skills will also be tested, with $2000 of prizes for the person who can guess the exact number of sheep running.
The running of the sheep starts at 2pm on 29 March. Other festivities on the day include local stalls, entertainment and motorised bathtub races.
These topics may also be of interest to you
|
