The festival is held in March every year, in Masterton, on the North Island. The tradition of the competition officially started in 1961, where the crowds were so large, that the local army were called in to help control them. Now the festival is a little more calm, and is regularly a four day competition, with entrants competing at a variety of levels of expertise in different events including: novice, junior, intermediate, senior and open shearing along with junior, senior and open wool handling events, and the pairs and singles wool pressing competitions