promoting our industry, sport and people · shearing 1 free see inside for mailing rates vol 25, no...

Shearing 1

FREESee inside formailing rates

Vol 25, No 1, April 2009 ISSN 0114-7811

Last Side Publishing Limited, PO Box 102, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand

Promoting our industry, sport and people

Shearing

World RecordBreakers!

Ivan,Ingrid andMargaret

Shearing 2

Shearing 3

CONTENTS 6 Golden Shears sweet sixteen10 New UK immigration rules12 From the subs bench 14 Shear music - yeah right15 Poets’ corner16 ACC and our industry18 Lister celebrating centennial22 Book review: Stitched Up24 Obituary: Ron Hill25 Profile:PeterRace27 New Zealand championships29 The 90-day law32 Women’s two-stand record34 Ivan Scott does the business35 Obituary: Gina Nathan37 Springtime in Deutchsland

UNDER COVER STORY

Vol 25, No 1, April 2009

ISSN 0114 - 7811

ShearingPromoting our industry, sport and people

Photo credits: p1 Doug Laing and Des Williams; p5 Marianne Taylor; p7/9 Pete Nickolaison; p9 Tony Lock, Kay Murphy, Marianne Taylor; p13 Jayne Harkness, Willy McSkimming; p15 Richard Sampey; p23 Tupz Proudfoot; p24 Ronny Hill; p32 Mike Gourdie; p34 Doug Laing; p37 Mike Hansby; p39 Barbara Newton. Others Last Side Publishing Ltd.

Publisher: Last Side Publishing Ltd, Box 102, Hamilton, New Zealand. Tel 07 839 2891: Fax 07 843 8944: Email: [email protected]: APN Print, Tauranga.Copyright: All material subject to usual arrangements.Subscribe to Shearing: New Zealand - send name, postal address and $20.00 cheque to receive six issues (two years) of Shearing. Australia - send name, address and cheque $NZ25.00 (equivalent) for two years subscrip-tion. Other countries - send name, address and cheque $NZ50.00 (equivalent) for two years subscription.

Cover: Record-setters: Ivan Scott (with Justin Bell) and Marg and Ingrid Baynes, adding to shearing folklore. Doug Laing (Scott) and Shearing magazine (Baynes) photos.

Next edition deadline for all material: 30 July 2009. Meantime, take care out there

and happy travelling.

The year of 2009 seems tomark some significantmilestones in our industry. The Lister company leads the way in this regard with its centennial celebrations noted in these pages, and the New Zealand Shearing Champion-ships at Te Kuiti marked its Silver Jubilee in grand style earlier this month.

This magazine too is about to notch up its 25th year ofexistence.Bymyreckoning,thefirsteditionappearedin November 1984, so we will endeavour to mark that milestone with our own celebration later this year.

Rotorua contractor Jeff Dorset calculates he’s now been in the business for 40 years (but there’s no mention of retirement!) and it’s not so long ago we were all won-dering where the future shearers, woolhandlers, pressers and contractors might be recruited from, with a lack of youngsters coming into the industry.

Well, the signs may not be set in concrete, but when we have three 12-year-olds shearing in a Golden Shears novicefinal(seepage8)andathree-year-oldalreadyoil-ing up his handpiece (young Issiah, page 9), impatiently waiting until he can drag something out of a catching pen and shear it, we may be assured that all is not lost.

It’s 80 years since that infamous day in New York when the Wall Street stock markets ‘crashed’, an event (according to some historians, anyway) that signalled the start of the Great Depression. The newspapers, radio and television tell us the world is now in another depression thatcouldmakethat1930seffortpaleintoinsignificance.I prefer the optimism of young Tom Harding (a Welsh shearer and frequent visitor to New Zealand) who offers his perspective on things in a “steady on the doom and gloom” essay at page 36 of this magazine. There’s nearly always work in the real world for those who want to.

See you in August!

Des Williams (editor)

New Zealand Shearing Contractors’ Association Inc.

Annual General MeetingWellington, 11/12 May 2009

Contact Cheryl Christie for further information: Tel 027 263 7634 or

email [email protected]

Shearing 4

Beiyuan Shearing Gear lowest possible prices! * Normal combs - $18.00 each * Cover combs - $20.00 each * Nine-tooth combs - $20.00 each * Cutters 4.5 mm - $3.80 each * Cutters 3.5 mm - $3.80 each * Beiyuan handpieces $450.00

* * * Special * * * Special * * * John Hand Combs

$10.00 eachAll prices include gst

24 hour service. Free phone and free postage around New Zealand

For more details contact

Dave Bateman Shearing Supplies Main Road, Milburn, RD 2, Milton, South Otago

Specialising in mail order shearing gear around New ZealandFreephone 0800 83 73 00

Shearing 5

Dale Taylor’s gang, pictured at Flaxhills Farm, Stag and Spey, Kaikoura, earlier this year. Back left: Tamati Taua (presser), Terry Garrett, Shane Clemens, Leah Reuben, Richie Hicks. Middle: John Kerr (ganger). Front left: Karl Perkins (farmer), Dale Taylor (contractor), Jordan Fitzgibbon, Monique de Jong, Maringi Maru. The gang is based at Cheviot, North Canterbury.

Courela Clothing5 Phillip Street Ph/Fax: 08 8626 1285STREAKY BAYSouth Australia 5680

Try our new black stretch shearing pants

If it’s used in the Shearing Industrythen chances are - we sell it.

Shop online at www.courela.com.au from end of April 2009

Shearing 6

Sweet sixteen indeed!

We have vacancies for professional shearers, shedhands and pressers to staff our Ashburton-based shearing run. We offer excellent accommodation, top pay rates and steady, year-round work with busy main-shear and pre-lamb runs.

Phone: Office 03 302 7541; Grant Smith 0272 413 010

or Norm Harraway 0272 413 023

Matson Shearing LtdPO Box 7125, Wanganui 4541

Motivated and reliable staff wanted. Busy main shear and second shear run.

Good food and top class accommodation.

Phone Lee : 06 344 5224Mob. 0274 425 443

By Doug LaingShearing icon David Fagan produced one of the most stunning of his 590 open-class winning efforts to claim his 16th Golden Shears open title in Masterton last month - 23 years after hisfirstin1986.

The 47-year-old from Te Kuiti had also won the title 12 times in a row from 1990 to 2001, and again in 2004 and 2005, but was left emotional and, like everyone in a crowd of 1500, stunned. “It’s unbelievable,” he said amid the acclaim which followed the announcement. He featured in a remarkable final

in which just 52 seconds separated thesixfinalistsafter20sheep-arareoccasiononwhichallfiveotherfinal-ists were onto their last sheep as the magical Fagan flailed the wand thatwas his Supershear Viper handpiece down the last side, pressed the button, dispatched the last ovine and claimed time honours by less than 1.5 seconds from 2006 winner, Dion King.

With Fagan taking just 15min 56.96sec, they were the only shearers to cut under 16 minutes, with a further 14 seconds back to world champion, Paul Avery, of Stratford, beating Te Kuiti gun Dean Ball by a couple of blows,withfivesecondsbacktosur-prisefinalistJeromeMcCrea,ofWan-ganui, and 17 back to Whangamomo-na-based Scottish hope Gavin Mutch.

The 33-year-old King, who like Fagan had won just one other title

this summer, had made one tragic blow however, one single cut ruin-ing his hopes with the outside judges slapping a maximum penalty on one sheep, relegating him to sixth overall and mirroring the fate of pre-champi-onships favourite, reigning champion and fellow Napier shearer John Kirk-patrick, who suffered a similar demise in being eliminated in the afternoon’s semi-finals.

Making the best run through the middle was the 42-year-old Avery, as both he and Ball got within a point of thewinner in the final count. Fa-gan totalled 58.088pts when the time and quality penalties were calculated, the 2005 and 2007 champion Avery scoring 58.607 to repeat his second placing of last year, and Ball third on 58.832. Mutch, 29, was fourth on 59.116 as just 1.18 points covered the leading quartet.

Avery also had to settle for second in the night’s other individual feature, the final of the PGGWrightsonNa-tional Series, won by Rakaia shearer Tony Coster. Fagan was not among the opposition, having announced last year when he won the crown for an eighth time he would not be traips-ing around five qualifying rounds in2008-2009.

Kirkpatrick, 38, showed consider-able steel to come back from his de-mise as a $1.60 TAB favourite in the open to win the plate for the six elimi-natedsemi-finalists,andclaimedabit

of payback as he, James Fagan and In-vercargill gun Nathan Stratford took New Zealand to a narrow win over the Australian team of JasonWingfield,Shannon Warnest and Damian Boyle in the second-leg of the annual home-and-away trans-Tasman series.

Australian world championship team members Wingfield and War-nestcreatedhistorybybeingfirstandsecond on individual points, a firstfor Australia in New Zealand since the series was initiated in 1997, but it wasn’t enough to block the Kiwis who won by less than a point in the closest test on a New Zealand board.Itavengedalossinthefirstlegat

Hay, NSW, in November, and gave New Zealand a clean sweep of three tests at the Golden Shears, after a Friday-night double in which Av-ery and Kirkpatrick beat Welshmen Nicky Beynon and Gareth Daniel in thefirstofa four-test series,and theKiwi woolhandling team comprising Gisborne teenager Joel Henare and Te Awamutu’s Keryn Herbert completed a 2-0 trans-Tasman series triumph in beating Australians Rachel Hutchison and Angela Wakely.

There was a hometown triumph as Tina Rimene, of Masterton, won her third Golden Shears open wool-handling title. Most recently based in Dannevirke, she previously won the event in 1994 and 1997. Henare was second, remaining two-short of the 15-win criteria that would elevate him to contention for Master Woolhandler status before he turns 18. World cham-pion Sheree Alabaster, of Taihape, wasthird,andsurprisefinalistPennyKerekere, of Gisborne, was fourth.

Shearing 7

Gisborne’s Ian Kirkpatrick (2008 intermediate champi-on) won the senior shearing title, the second step towards a goal of emulating “Uncle Johnny” who scored a simi-lar intermediate-senior double in 1993 and 1994 before becoming the only person to win Golden Shears titles in three grades.

Bevan Guy, of Kaeo, won the intermediate title and JakeRangiwai,ofMataura,wonthejuniorfinal,emulat-ing the feats of brothers Maaka and Phillip who won the same title in 2006 and 2007 respectively.TheGoldenShearsseniorwoolhandlingfinalwaswon

by Ratapu Paikea, of Northland, and Fiona Christensen, of Masterton,wonthejuniorfinal,becomingthefirstshearsathlete to win in two disciplines, having earlier won the women’s woolpressing singles and pairs titles, the latter with Masterton teenager Cushla Gordon.

The woolpressing events provided emotional home-town triumphs for the Goodger family, after one brother, Warwick, had been paralysed in a road crash just weeks after he and older brother Jeremy won their third succes-sive pairs title last year.

Jeremy was joined by another brother, Vinnie, in win-ning the title again, after theywerefirst and second re-spectively in the singles.

Amid the drama of the night there was a major vic-tory for the sport, with recognition from SPARC via per-formance grants to the 2008 world championships team of machine shearers Avery and Kirkpatrick, woolhandlers Alabaster and Joanne Kumeroa, and Timaru blade shear-ers Peter Race and Bill Michelle, after their victories and top-three placings in Norway in October.

Results 49th Golden Shears, Masterton, 5/6/7 March:International Shearing, NewZealandvWalesfirsttest(12sheep):NewZealand(PaulAv-ery and John Kirkpatrick) 80.984pts beat Wales (Gareth Daniel and Nicky Beynon) 97.761pts. Trans-Tasman Series second test (6 merino, 3 long-wool, 3 second-shear): New Zealand (James Fagan, John Kirkpatrick, Nathan Strat-ford)235.151ptsbeatAustralia(JasonWingfield,ShannonWarnest,Damion Boyle) 236.

Individual and teams’ events, shearing:Golden Shears Open (20 sheep): David Fagan, Te Kuiti, 58.098, 1; Paul Avery, Stratford, 58.607, 2; Dean Ball, Te Kuiti, 58.832 3; Gavin Mutch, Whangamomona, 59.116 4; Jerome McCrea, Wan-ganui, 61.29, 5; Dion King, Napier, 62.72 6.PGG Wrightson National championship (3 merino, 3 half-bred, 3 long-wool, 3 second-shear, 3 lambs): Tony Coster, Rakaia, 67.483 1; Paul Avery, Stratford, 71.707 2; James Fagan, Te Kuiti, 72.657 3; Nathan Stratford, Invercargill, 74.462 4; Grant Smith, Rakaia, 75.975 5; Adam Brausch, Dannevirke, 74.992 6. Golden Shears Senior (10 sheep): Ian Kirkpatrick, Gisborne, 44.679 1; Bou-dean Hawkins, Martinborough, 48.253 2; Alex Reid, Taihape, 49.489 3; Mark Grainger, Te Kuiti, 51.789 4; Aaron Hay-nes, Feilding, 52.601 5; Paul Lewis, Gisborne, 55.375 6. Golden Shears Intermediate (8 sheep): Bevan Guy, Kaeo, 40.472 1; Shane Hackett, Christchurch, 40.598 2; Tipene Te Whata, Tautoro, 40.928, 3; Ingrid Baynes, Wairoa, 41.832 4; Jason Edwards, Rakaia, 42.663 5; Matene Mason, Masterton, 43.935 6.Golden Shears Junior (5 sheep): Jake Rangiwai, Mataura, 34.664 1; Nick Manukau, Gore, 37.304 2; Wi Ngarangione, Gisborne, 37.648

3; Rowan Forrest, Scotland, 37.893 4; Sharnie Rimene, Masterton, 41.614 5; Brett Roberts, Mataura, 6.Golden Shears Novice (2 sheep): Tane Matiaha, Masterton, 23.974 1; Simon Goss, Kimbolton, 25.166 2; Conan Gray, Masterton, 26.932 3; Brendan Graham, Ireland, 36.121 4; Selena Birchler, Eketahuna, 46.716 5; Chris Hay, Wanganui, 49.477 6.

Woolhandling:Trans-Tasman Series second test: New Zealand (Keryn Herbert and Joel Henare) 605pts beat Australia (Rachel Hutchison and Angela Wakely)635.2pts.NewZealandwonfirsttestinHay,NSW,inNo-vember, and win series 2-0. Golden Shears Open: Tina Rimene, Masterton, 279.2 1; Joel Henare, Gisborne, 311 2; Sheree Alabaster, Taihape, 313 3; Penny Kerekere, Gisborne, 398 4. Golden Shears Senior: Ratapu Paikea, Kaiwaka, 186.8 1; Jonathon Haakull, Norway, 205 2; April Longstaff, Stratford, 211 3; Ngawai Tau, Dannevirke, 250 4.Golden Shears Junior: Fiona Christensen, Masterton, 186 1; Tania Addis, Alfredton, 200.8 2; Shani Graham, Masterton, 216 3; Cather-ine Christey, Te Awamutu, 252 4. North Island Woolhandling Circuit:Open: Joel Henare, Gisborne, 146 1; Hanatia Tipene, Porangahau, 171.6 2; Keryn Herbert, Te Awamutu, 195 3; Veronica Goss, Kim-bolton, 214.6 4.Senior: Angela Aldridge, Te Kuiti, 229 1; Martha Marshall, Pukeko-he, 279.2 2; Victoria Kumeroa, Wanganui, 285.8 3; Kiri Gerretzen, Palmerston North, 299.9 4. Junior: Catherine Christey, Te Awamutu, 190 1; Kiley Laris, Mas-terton, 224 2; Ursula Taiaroa, Masterton, 225.4 3; Tane Matiaha, Masterton, 229 4.

Wool pressing:Men’s singles: Jeremy Goodger, Masterton, 70.7 1; Vinnie Goodger, Masterton, 74.6 2; Jareth Fox, Masterton, 3 Karl Forward, Napier, 4.Men’s Pairs: Vinnie and Jeremy Goodger, Masterton, 58.1 1; Rob and Paul Lewis, Gisborne, 68.5 2.

“I might not get the chance to do this again,” the champion said, holding the Golden Shears challenge trophy aloft again, after a spell of five years. Hmmm, “Sweet Sixteen” indeed!

Shearing 8

“Where shearers meet in Ranfurly.”

E W E N I Q U E S H E A R I N G PA R T N E R S H I PWe service a large Wairarapa client base and offer both permanent and seasonal positions for profes-sionally motivated shearers and woolhandlers. Full accommodation available.

Phone Rick MacLeod 06 377 1942Chub Lett 06 379 8291

Members NZ Shearing Contractors’ Association

Golden Shears results continued:Wool-pressing women’s singles: Fiona Christensen, Masterton, 88.5 1; Kiri Gerretzen, Palmerston North, 137.5 2.Wool-pressing women’s pairs: Fiona Christensen Masterton and Cushla Gordon, Masterton, 68.3 1; Daisy Taua and Kiri Gerretzen, Palmerston North, 110.2 2.

Triathlon shearing, woolhandling and pressing: Jeremy Goodger, Masterton, 195.2 1; Tane Matiaha, Masterton, 198.4 2; Shilo Koro-heke, Masterton, 244.5 3; Tuma Mullins, Dannevirke, 263.8 4. Contractors Teams Event: Paewai Mullins Guns, Dannevirke (Tuma Mullins, Aaron Paewai, Oti Mason, Joel Henare, Jukka Livari) 428.9 1; Shear expertise, Masterton (Samson Te Whata, Matene Mason, George Hawkins, Ursula Taiaroa, Vinnie Goodyer) 458.5 2.

Maori-Pakeha teams event (8 sheep each): Cam Ferguson, Waipawa, and Bart Hadfield,Wairoa, 64.7 1; JamesMack,Weber, and PhilWedd, Napier, 73.015 2; Rodney Macdonald, Raglan, and Tony Coster, Rakaia, 70.913 3.

YFC Blue Ribbon shearing championship (8 sheep): David Buick, Pahiatua, 32.874 1; Sam Welch, Waikaretu, 35.849 2; Angus Moore, Blenheim, 36.725 3; Peter Jackson, Dannevirke, 38.489 4; Mark Grainger, Te Kuiti, 42.653 5; Mark Buick, Masterton, 6.

YFC Shearing and woolhandling teams championship: Waikato (Pe-ter Jackson, Mark Grainger, Keryn Herbert, Anita Phillips) 197.703 1; Northland (Angus Moore, Sam Welch, Sian McLeod, Ratapu Paikea) 265.259, 2.

Above: The Goodger brothers of Masterton, dominant combinations in wool-pressing: For the past three years it’s been Jeremy and Warwick. This year Jeremy teamed with Vinnie - same result, Golden Shears champions.Below: Three 12-year-olds, Simon Goss, David Gordon and Manahi Fox, all competed with distinction at the Golden Shears novice competition, with Goss (left) win-ning the title. Below left: Shearing for the woolhandlers.Teamwork, perfect unison!

Shearing 9

HART SHEARINGBlenheim

For competitive rates and fast, efficient service

Ring Ken or Pip Hart

03 577 6224 or Ken on

0274 390 304

Robertson Shearing LtdLawrence

Wanted: Honest, reliable staff. Good accommodation and

meals provided.

Phone Mouse on 03 485 9127

MICHELLE SHEARING LTD18 Johnson Street, Milton

Staff required allyear-round

PHONE TONY MICHELLE

03 417 8312

Tony Lock of Marton wonders where these blokes from the Central Hawkes Bay YFC team that competed at Golden Shears in 1961 have got to. Back left: Robert Kyle, Trevor Jane, Tony Lock, Brian Johansen, Dave Coles. Front: Jim Fleming, Richard Tombleson, George Douglas, Robin Angus. If readers know the whereabouts of any of the above, Tony would love to hear from you. Contact him via this magazine ([email protected]) or directly at 395 Makirikiri Road, RD 3, Marton 4789; tel 06 327 7223.

This ‘Waitaki Shearing’ team from Kurow competed at the Otago Shearing and woolhandling championships, Balclutha, in February. From left: Dave Gard, Kay Murphy, Katrina Marsh and Ross McCone. “We like to get amongst the best and have a go,” Kay says. Admirable attitude, we agree.

What’s this young fellow up to? Yep, you guessed it - he just can’t wait un-til he’s big enough to drag a sheep from that catching pen. Meantime, 3-year-old Issiah Niblett (nephew of Dale Taylor - see gang photo page 5) is learning how to look after his gear. Watch this space 10 years from now!

Shearing 10

NZ Shearing Contractors’ Association Inc

New members welcome. Join now!

Keep abreast with the new rates and changes in legislation.National President: Motu Tua, PO Box 145, Pahiatua. Tel 06 375 8488

National Secretary: Cheryl Christie, PO Box 11, Ashhurst.Tel 027 263 7634: Fax 06 326 8041E-mail [email protected]

New UK immigration rulesShearing contractors are warned that under new United Kingdom immigra-tion laws, they need to apply imme-diately to bring in vital shearers from Australia and New Zealand.

A new points-based system is now in operation, which means that United Kingdom contractors must become li-censed as a ‘sponsor’, before they can apply for entry clearance for shearers. This isasignificantchangefromtheprevious work permits system. It is very important that contractors sub-mit initial applications immediately to ensure that the paperwork is all in order before shearers start to travel.

The National Association of Agri-cultural Contractors (NAAC) has been actively involved in the process and has been successful in getting shear-ers listed as a shortage occupation. NAAC Chief Executive Jill Hewitt says,forthefirsttimeithasbeenrec-ognised that overseas shearers are a vital, skilled resource supplying UK agriculture. As a result of NAAC lob-bying, the contractors will be able to bypass some of the immigration pro-cedures to simplify the shearers’ en-try. However, there will still be signif-icant paperwork to get the new system working this year and contractors are urged to start the application process as a matter of urgency.

NAAC shearing members have been kept up-to-date on the application process and guidance is now available

formembersfromtheNAACoffice.Incoming shearers must have the

British Wool Marketing Board bronze medal or equivalent.

Things you should know about NAAC: Formed in 1893, the NAAC represents contractors in the UK who supply all types of land-based services to farmers, government, local authori-ties, sports and recreational facilities.Within its livestock membership, the NAAC has shearing members who, each spring, have to submit a number of work permit applications to bring in overseas shearers.

A fundamental part of the skilled worker tier of the Points Based System is the shortage occupation lists, for the United Kingdom and Scotland. These are skilled occupations where the Government considers there are short-ages so that it is sensible for vacancies tobefilledbymigrantworkersfromoutside the European Economic Area. Migrant workers seeking to come to work in the UK score points if they are applying to work in one of these occupations.

For information on the immigra-tion process see: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers/

New Zealand or Australian shear-ers requiring further information can contact Jill Hewitt, via email: [email protected] . (Telephones:Office0870448750,ormobile 07889 511245.)

Naue Marshall of Pukemiro was a keen spectator at the national lamb-shearing championship, Raglan, on 3 January, despite the inclemency of the weather. (It was wet!)

Naue was a shearer himself for about 40 years and a contractor in the Waikaretu [South Auckland] area for fiveyears,saysSonnyMarshall,whotook over the business from his father several years ago. “Dad put the hand-piece in many people’s hands over many years, including my own and that of other family members.

“He still takes a keen interest in the shearing and isn’t past telling me that ‘You’re doing it all wrong, son!’ But like most sons who receive advice from their fathers, I don’t always take too much notice, these days anyway,” Sonny laughs. “When I was younger he taught me a few things!”

Shearing 11

WOODLANDSTAVERN

Call in and ‘shear’ a cool drink.Hosts: Gus and Pauline Dermody. Tel 03 231 3120

Shearing 12

Utiku Shearing 2007 LtdTaihape

Our aim is quality in all areas of shearing and wool preparation

Positions available for experienced and reliable staff

Shearers/Woolhandlers/PressersTop rates, accomm, meals, transport

Phone Rei 06 388 1009 or 0272 309 855

• On farm shearing plant servicing - all makes and models• Comprehensive range of spare parts• Woolpress servicing, TPW & Vanguard• Handpiece repairs• Sales of second hand gear

Neil Gribben“From the Waikato to Manawatu”

Tel 0274 954 467

By Des WilliamsMagazine subscriber, Bruce Clement of Westmoreland, New Hampshire, achieved a 30-year dream by attend-ing Golden Shears 2009. He has an equally long association with New Zealand shearing.

“I started working with sheep as a youth project back in the United States. You had to learn to shear your own because there weren’t many shearers around. Our beginner shear-ing schools were generally one-day affairs, just to get you used to the equipment, then they turned you loose on your own to do the best you could.

“I went through school and college and the US army and I started working for the University of New Hampshire as a Cooperative Extension Educator. What you’d call a farm advisor. The area was mainly dairying, with some horticulture coming in, but sheep and beef were very much secondary, mostly on hobby farm scale.

“But I always enjoyed the shearing, even though I was only doing around 3000 in a season, and I organised shearing schools for the University. Then in the late 1970s, we made ar-rangements with Alan Barker and the New Zealand Wool Board to sponsor an instructor to New Hampshire. That arrangement continued for several years, with Alan himself, Robin Kidd,

Murray Christie, Gus Dermody, Rob-in Middleton, Rex Crengle and Colin Gibson all coming over to teach eager Americans how to shear properly.

“Then later in the 1980s our own LabourDepartmentmade it difficultfor instructors to come in from other countries and so they taught a couple of our shearers to do the instructing. Doug Rathke was one of those – he can shear with machines and with blades and is one of the leading shear-ers in the States. He has also competed here and now looks after most of the shearer-training back home.

“My wife Ellen and I have a mar-ried daughter ( a Shakespeare Scholar) working at the University of Canter-bury and our visit to New Zealand is mainly to visit them – but it was timed soIcouldfulfillmydreamofcomingto Golden Shears. I’ve been very im-pressed with the Shearing Museum in Masterton, and watched the video of Godfrey Bowen shearing. Godfrey’s book, Wool Away,wasthefirstshear-ing instruction book that I bought.

“In the States, people tell me I make shearing look easy, but here in New Zealand they tell me I make it look hard. I spent some time with Gavin Rowland (Tectra) while in Christch-urch and he arranged with Noel Han-dley to take me out to a shed where I was able to shear a couple. Ivan Scott was working in the same shed and I have heard all about his recent world record. A fabulous effort.

“I’m semi-retired and just work part time for the University and the USDA now, mainly doing grazing plans, but I still shear 1000 or so sheep each year. I carry a sheet of plywood, a couple of gatesandaflexi-shaftmachine.Icando 12 to 15 an hour – you pull them out, trim their feet, shear them, gather up the wool and grab another one. I would love to be able to shear a sheep in one minute but I don’t think it will be in this lifetime!

American subscriber, Bruce Clement, achieved his 30-year dream by attend-ing Golden Shears 2009.

From the subs bench

Shearing 13

Ross and Marie Kelman welcome you to the best pub this side of the Black Stump. Great bar, restaurant, accom-modation and shearing company. Tel 03 438 9713

OMARAMAHOTEL

“You say you’ve got 10,000 full wool ewes to be shorn by next week? That won’t be a problem Sir, I’ll get our top gang onto it right away!” Nineteen-month old Sophie helps out in the busy office of McSkimming Shearing at Taumarunui.

MalcolmFraser(aboveleft)waspresentedwithacertifi-cate and badge in recognition of his outstanding service to the British wool industry. Making the presentation to Mal-colm on behalf of the British Isles Shearing Competitions Association (BISCA) was Brendan Kelly, chairman of the Northern Ireland Sheep Shearing Association.

Northern Ireland correspondent Jayne Harkness reports that Malcolm is originally from New Zealand and moved to the UK in the early 1960s. He became a permanent resident of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland and represented Northern Ireland in the Five Nations, winning the individual and teams competitions. “He is retired from competition shearing now and is respected as a great judge and friend to us all here. He currently still farms a substan-tialflockinCountyDown.”

Vern Pegler of Raglan was an interested spectator at the 41st Western Shears in early January. Vern was largely re-sponsible for building the shearing pavilion at the Raglan Domain (a building that also doubles as headquarters for the Raglan Rugby Football Club).

“I was a builder in Raglan and Rex Tucker, a man who worked for me at the time, came and said the Shears Com-mittee had to get out of the old school building they had beenusingasavenueforthefirstfewyears.

“I took the idea of a new building to the local Lions Club and they supported the proposal, so I was seconded onto the committee and designed plans for a building which the Western Shears Committee, under Angus Wilson, eventu-ally endorsed. The building was constructed at weekends from voluntary labour and donated materials - all to a hel-luva tight budget as these community projects usually are, but it was ready on 4 January 1975 in time for the seventh annual Shears.”

And yes, Vern has dagged, crutched and shorn a few sheep in his time, but he’s never competed up there on the board that he built.

Shearing 14

Shear music to my ears - yeah right!

BRUCE ROGERSSHEARING CONTRACTOR

SOUTH CANTERBURY

• Quality and service guaranteed• Goodaccommodationandconditions• Jobsavailableyear-roundforgood shearers and shedhands• MemberNZShearingContractors’ Assn

Tel 03 693 8087

By Des WilliamsEver been to a world shearing record attempt? And if you’re “middle aged” or more, have you struggled to tolerate the “music” (both the quality and the volume) emanating at twenty thou-sand decibels from the shed music box? Was it indeed music to your ears or was it just mind-bending, head-shattering, migraine-inducing noise?

If you are not near middle age, go ahead and tell me to “Get with it old man, bring yourself into the 21st cen-tury, that’s the way music is now, and that’s what we listen to in the sheds.”

To set a world record (I think it was John Fagan who said this) “absolutely everything has to go right on the day”. I have been fortunate to observe a few world record attempts since that mind-boggling day at Waitanguru in December 1993 when Alan MacDon-ald shore 831 lambs. In so doing he added 21 to the mark set by David Fa-gan and it was a display assessed by many as being well-nigh perfect.

Darin Forde’s epic 720 in 1997; Sutton,StoneyandHadfieldatTaihapelater that same year; Ball, Balme and Neil at Te Hape; Brown and Sutton at Rangipo in 1999; Sutton’s 839 lambs at Waihi-Pukawa in December 2000; Bell and Edmonds at Opepe December 2002; Bell’s 851 lambs at Rerewhakaaitu in December 2004; the Southland super-six at Wairaki, Janu-ary 2005 and the Clark/Harvey boys three-stand at Mount Linton in 2006; Dion King at Mangapehi – these are some of the record-breaking days wit-nessed in New Zealand sheds over the

past decade or so. And let’s not forget Emily Welch and the Baynes duo.

Of all the things that contribute to a successful record attempt, it seems to this observer from the boundary that high among them could be the percentage of sheep that sit still long enough to let themselves be shorn. Re-laxed sheep tend to sit still and sheep on edge tend to play hard to get.

It was during Darin Forde’s 720 that I first began to wonder aboutthe relationship between the quality and volume of music booming from the ghetto blaster and the quality of shearing taking place on the board. Those two runs after breakfast were noisy and weren’t going well. To this old bugger’s ears, the music wasn’t up to much either. Then they found some “sixties and seventies” classics, the mood in the shed changed, the shearer found some rhythm, the sheep seemed relaxed and we all know how that sto-ry ends – four more sheep than Dion Morrell when it looked, at lunchtime, that he’d be four, five, six or moredownthedraincomefiveo’clock.Withoutgoingintospecificdetail,I

suggest that most of the music played during more recent attempts comes into the “heavy metal” variety – stuff that does not automatically make you wanttotapyourfingersortoes.

Far from relaxing, it puts you on, and keeps you on edge. If it has that effect on the audience (I appreciate that some people like it) is it possible that it also makes the sheep edgy?

You may say, and rightly so, that all of the attempts listed above resulted

in new records. That is true. How much better might they have been in a more relaxed atmosphere. I admit to not getting beyond Rocket Science 1.01, and I’m no animal behaviour-ist, but cow cockies will tell you that good background music helps relax the cows and aids the milk-flow noend. A lamb jumps when a dog barks. Is it the dog that makes it jump or the bark? For my money it’s the noise that makes them edgy. Especially the noise emanating from the big black boxes on the wall.

If you’re thinking of doing a record and your mates are putting together the music CDs for you, suggest they fillthemupwithstuffthat’sgotbeatand melody and rhythm to it. Rhythm that might sub-consciously help the shearer stay relaxed when those arms, legs, back and shoulders are telling him or her they want to go home.

How about some good old rock’n’roll from the Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater, early Van Morrison, Springsteen, the Eagles, Bee Gees, Tom Petty, Elton John, Neil Young (some!), Steve Earle, Bob Seg-er, or even old Meatloaf! As Dobie Gray sings – “give me the beat boys and free my soul, I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away …”

You don’t like that stuff? I could swearIsawyourfingerstappingjustnow as that old refrain passed through your memory.

And I have to admit, when I was listening to this “sixties and seven-ties” music my old man reckoned it was – yep, “just bloody noise!”

A clear message from the bards, balladeers and bull-dusters at Naseby over Easter

Shearing 15

POVERTY BAY SHEARING LTD

Makaraka, Gisborne

Top quality shearers and shedhands

wanted. Plenty of work from November thru

to March.

Phone Phill or Tup

now on 06 867 1125

MAHONY SHEARINGPO BOX 3381, NAPIER

TEL 06 835 9571

Permanent positions for quality shearers and shedhands

Member of the NZ Shearing Contractors’ Association

In Hawkes Bay, we are always on the lookout for sheds and the best people to staff them

BRANNIGAN SHEARING PARTNERSHIP

Tel/Fax 06 876 4176Mobile 0295 433 726

Most happy fellas - Steve Harnett of Kaikoura (top) because he’s just won the intermediate blades competition (well, back in November, actually) at the 50th anniversary Canterbury Shears. (Be-low) Angus Moore is happy because - well, he had the flashest hat at Raglan’s Western Shears in January. He made the Top 30 at Golden Shears, too!

I came driving up the highwayWell equipped with GPSHooked to a distant satelliteThat knew every known address.From Northland down to SouthlandAnd all places in betweenWith a voice to navigate me And a picture on the screen.

“It’s for your own sake Grand PaSo don’t tell us that it ‘sucks’You won’t get lost now Grand PaAnd it cost six hundred bucks.Don’t stop at any bar rooms – Don’t use road sides for a peeYou could be ‘googled’ round the planetFor the whole damned world to see.”

I was heading up to CentralBack to where my old haunts wereWith the same swag roll I used thenWhen I wore the hat and spur.And I marvelled as I motoredAt this new technologyAs my journey was pin-pointedAnd narrated just for me.

But when I left the highwayAnd turned up Tussock TrackThe reception got distortedAnd I thought I heard TURN BACK.Such tracks are not signposted – NobridgeortrafficlightAnd I muttered with derisionWhat a piss poor satellite.

It’s never heard of Red Rock StockyardWhere the horses used to stampNever heard of Snow Drift Corner –Or the way to Doogan’s camp.Never heard of One Tree Woolshed –Where Old Doogan’s sheep were shornOr the cattle yards at Blue SpringsWhere the young calves we’d dehorned.

But on memory I went inAnd unrolled my swag real goodBy Crystal Creek’s sweet watersWhere Jim Doogan’s homestead stood.And the old mates came to visitAs I reminisced a bitFor I knew this was the real worldAnd I still was part of it.

And I saw the slab of graniteAsIwalkedthevalleyfloorWhere I laid big Jack the huntawaySo many years before.Yet I thought I heard him barkingAnd my eyes were somewhat dampAnd an old grey hawk was wheelingAs I left Doogan’s camp.

I was driving down the highwayWhen I spied the curvy bumOf a half clad Swedish hikerWho was travelling by thumb.When I dropped her in the cityWhy, she shouted me TOP SHELFI drove on to Pension VillageAND I’D MADE IT BY MYSELF.(Blue Jeans)

Doogan’s Camp

KiwiSaver got you stumped?Call Payshr payroll Ph 03 445 1345

or cell 0274 317 101

Shearing 16

ACC and our industry Lister celebrating centennial

Got An Old Lister Machine or Handpiece? Then You Could Win!To celebrate its centenary, Lister has launched a competition to findthe oldest Lister machine and hand-piece. If you have an old Lister ma-chine or handpiece lying around then email a picture of it to [email protected] or visit www.lister-shearing.co.uk by May 31st 2009. You might just win yourself a new, limited edition golden machine or handpiece. (See pages 18-19)

Contact Acto Agriculture for More Information: To find yournearest Lister stockist contact Acto Agriculture on 09 266 2333, email [email protected]. Alternatively, visit www.acto.co.nz.

By Jills Angus BurneyThere are a number of reasons why we all need at least a basic understanding of why the Accident Compensation Commission (ACC) exists and what it does. The new government’s plan to allow insurers to once again provide workers’ accident coverage makes that an absolute priority. Thefirstisthesheerscaleofthein-

jury problem and its impact on us as a nation. Every single day of the year around 5000 New Zealanders lodge a claim with ACC. The cost of those claims to the country is quite stagger-ing if you add on work-related disease and injury, the total economic and so-cial cost reaches $25 billion a year – roughly 17% of New Zealand’s Gross National Product.And putting aside the financial

costs, the impact on individuals, their families and communities is enor-mous. Lives can be changed forever by accidents, dreams shattered and these impacts ripple through families well beyond the individual who has been injured. None more so than in the farming sector.

There are a number of reasons it is important each farming generation has at least a basic understanding of the scheme in its entirety. Accident insurance coverage in high risk areas like the shearing industry makes that an absolute priority for the industry to be aware of intended changes.

New Zealand will be going through big changes in the next decades. The population is ageing and becoming more diverse. The workforce is be-coming more dynamic and mobile, with more participation by older peo-ple and women returning to work. The number of single parent, blended and other non-nuclear families is increas-ing. People are continuing to move away from rural areas to live and work in the cities.

When you compound all of these factors the resulting scenario repre-sentsasignificantchallengeforgov-ernment, ACC, policy makers and, of course, levies payers. If cost were the only factor then no informed employer would consider change. An analysis of the relative comparative costs for the agricultural sector between New

Zealand and Australia is required. Australia uses a mixture of state

and private mechanisms to deliver some similar accident compensation services. The recent Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) report finds ACCemployer contributions are substan-tially lower at 0.78 per cent of wages, compared to an Australian average of 2 per cent. ACC clients in NZ re-turn to work faster than their Austral-ian counterparts and ACC has lower claim management and administra-tion rates.In particular, ACC classification

data show that shearing contractors in NZ currently pay a base levy rate of $3.31/$100 wages. On the last gov-ernment’s proposals for 2009/10 this reduced to $3.13/$100 wages.

Compare that with Queensland A$3.53; Western Australia A$5.12; South Australia A$7.50; Victoria A$8.58 and NSW A$8.74. Based on this state by state comparison, a similar range applies to sheep and beef farmingacross thefiveAustral-ian states. You could be forgiven for thinking New Zealand’s ACC model was performing well.

The cost to taxpayers of privatising the employers’ account alone in 1999 has been estimated at $45 million and PWCreportfindsevidence theproc-ess was “somewhat chaotic and con-fusing for some claimants”.

Why hand a $9.5 billion public asset to gamble with – as if the col-lapse of Australian workers insurance company HIH isn’t enough to learn from? The only beneficiaries of theso-called choice which would flowfrom privatisation of ACC are the in-surance companies to determine who gets covered and how.

Core public services such as ACC, health and education,where specificsocial outcomes are considered neces-sary by society, are commonly judged to be more appropriately delivered by the government.

We must understand the past to un-derstand what is at risk and why the experiences of the past helped con-vince a National government in 1967 inthefirstplace,thatACCshouldbestate-run.

ADRIAN COX SHEARING LTD

has vacancies for experienced shearers

and shedhands for stayout work on his fine wool run based

in South Canterbury.

Excellent working conditions.

Give Adrian a call today!

Tel 03 614 7811

Shearing 17

NEXUS

Shear Gear Shearing Singlets

Fagan Shearing Jeans • 3-speed shearing plant 2800, 3200 & 3500 RPM to suit all shearing conditions • Solid yet lightweight

Acto Agriculture NZ Ltd P O Box 72 398, Papakura 2244 Phone 09 266 2333 Fax 09 266 4333 e-mail: [email protected]

www.acto.co.nz

Purchase any packet of 5 combs

from the Lister Birds of Prey comb range and receive

1 packet of 10 Lister Claw cutters

FREE Offer excludes Countryman combs & is while stocks last

The team at Acto Agriculture would like to congratulate Lister Shearing on a very successful milestone….

100 years…. That’s a huge amount of experience & dedication in the

shearing industry!!

Lister MAMBA (triple bearing), Lister PYTHON

(double bearing) & Lister COBRA

(conventional oil bath) handpieces are now ex

stock in NZ – ask for them by name at your

local store

Designed & manufactured in NZ specifically for shearing , our NEW cotton / polyester blend

singlet features low arm holes & long fit body, available in Red,

Royal or Navy Blue in sizes Medium, Large, XL & 2XL

Manufactured in NZ specifically for shearing, Fagan jeans are a

proven high quality, tough wearing design. Available in 3 styles; Supajeans (with ankle

zips), ShearBlack & ShearBlue (both with ankle splits)

- all available in a huge range of sizes.

• Less Rigid Downtube $870 incl GST Normally $1095 recommended retail incl GST

• With Rigid Downtube $1385 incl GST Normally $1730 recommended retail incl GST

Upgrade your old shearing plant now with

this GREAT deal

Shearing 18

Lister proudly celebrating centennialWhen your career, your business, your income, depends on your shear-ing performance, you’ll know it’s vi-tal to have the right handpiece in your hand. You’ll instantly know the dif-ference between a handpiece that has been poorly manufactured, and one that has been precision engineered. You’ll recognise a handpiece that has been specifically designed to reducedrag and increase agility. And you’ll appreciate a handpiece that puts com-fort in a whole new league.

Finding a handpiece that’s right for you: We all know how tiring shear-ing can be. It demands concentration, determination, strength and stamina. It’s certainly not for those who are shy ofatoughday.Andit’sdefinitelynotfor a struggling handpiece that can’t take the pressure.

It takes a manufacturer that under-stands your work conditions to deliver a handpiece that won’t disappoint. That’s why a handpiece from Lister Shearing Equipment, a global manu-facturer which has been making shears for 100 years, won’t let you down. Lister’s shearing equipment is used all over the world by leading shearers and has been used at all major shear-ing competitions, including the Golden Shears world championships.

Having made shears since 1909, Lister is the world’s oldest shearing equipment manufacturer. Lister has an unparalleled reputation for manufactur-ing world leading shearing equipment that professionals rely on. As Lister celebrates its centenary this year, it re-mains dedicated to continuing its tradi-tion of ongoing product research, de-velopment and improvement. In fact, with the launch of its one-of-a-kind handpiece range this year, 2009 is one of Lister’s most exciting yet.

Lister gives you more choice: The new Lister handpiece range contains three different handpieces, each with a differ-ent bearing option: triple, dual, or plain, enabling you to pick a shear that’ll per-fectly match your demands and condi-tions. Each handpiece in the range is packed with features to help you shear quicker and more comfortably:

Low profile fork and prongs to•reduce drag.

Increased movement within the •backjointforanagilefirstblow.Re-engineered cogs and precision •cut teeth for smoother, quieter running. Slim-line balanced and contoured •body for comfort over long periods. Moulded grip for more control •with less fatigue.

Every handpiece also connects to both solidandflexibledrives, isavailablewith a Pin or Worm drive, and in wide ornarrowformat;givingyoutheflex-ibility to choose a shear that’ll match your demands.

Maximum speed and supreme com-fort? If you need the ultimate in speed and comfort, then the triple bearing handpiece, called the ‘Mamba’ is the one for you. The two bearings in the barrel are combined with an extra bearing in the long half to ensure min-imal friction. Along with a balanced crank head, this enables the handpiece to run cooler and smoother with less vibration. The Mamba further fea-tures a twin row bearing by the crank, prolonging the handpiece’s life by in-creasing its resistance against wear.

Need comfort, speed and durability? But if you’re looking for an easier to maintain handpiece then the second handpiece in the range, known as the ‘Python’, is ideal. The Python is dual bearing which still enables it to deliv-er a smooth, cool performance but un-like the Mamba, it has a conventional long half, with no bearing to wear out or replace. The Python gives shearers, particularly those faced with sandy conditions, the best of all worlds with an all-round balance of comfort, speed and durability. Like the Mamba, the Python also has a twin row bearing by the crank for long lasting robustness and a balanced crank head to reduce vibration and maximise comfort.

Need extreme durability? Finally, for those who want a simple mainte-nance, hard wearing handpiece, the ‘Cobra’ provides the solution. The Cobra is a traditional plain bear-ing shear which is extremely easy to maintain and because of its oil bath lubrication, it’s very durable.

Plus, Look Out for the Limited Edi-tion Golden Set: If you’re looking for something a little extra special this year, then look out for the limited edi-tion golden Mamba and Nexus Sen-sor. This unique shearing set is being specially manufactured to celebrate Lister’s centenary. It comes with a golden Mamba handpiece, a golden Nexus Sensor machine and various accessories including: a tally counter, ferrule, comb brush, screw driver, oil bottle, and comb and cutter.

Lister’s Nexus Sensor is fitted withan electronic current sensor to auto-matically stop the machine to avoid a lock-up if the handpiece hits an obstruction. The Nexus Sensor is the world’s leading capacitor start and run machine. The lightweight, impact re-sistant machine comes with speeds of 2800, 3200 and 3500 rpm to suit all shearing conditions. The motor, ca-pacitor and switch are also contained inside an impact resistant moulded casing which has a pull-rope switch for ease of use.

Contact Acto Agriculture: To findyour nearest Lister stockist contact Acto Agriculture on 09 266 2333, email [email protected]. Alternatively visit www.acto.co.nz.

Shearing 19

The Job is Hard.The Choice is Easy.

Mamba TRIPLE BEARING

Cobra OIL BATH

Python DUAL BEARING

Whether you prefer dual, triple or oil bath,the only choice you have to make is Lister

If you think you own one of the oldest handpieces or machines, enter our competition to win either alimited edition handpiece or shearing machine. See our website or email [email protected]

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS

1909 - 2009Acto Agriculture NZ LtdP O Box72 398Papakura 224409 266 [email protected]

Lister Shearing Equipment LtdLong Street, Dursley

Gloucestershire, GL11 4HR, UKTEL. +44 (0) 1453 544 830

Email: [email protected]

Shearing 20

Congratulations to our National Certificate Recipients

Why train with Tectra?

Tectra, New Zealand’s largest wool harvesting trainer, holds the contract with Agriculture ITO to deliver shearing and wool handling training nationally and has over thirty years experience in delivering training programmes. We are committed to providing world-class training to shearers, wool handlers, classers and pressers.To find out more about the course schedule in your area contact your local Regional Training Manager or call us free on 0800 350 035 or visit our website www.tectra.co.nz.

Our Regional Training ManagersDavid Long (Palmerston North) looks after all Wool Handling and Modern Apprentices in the North Island. Call David on (06) 357 1321 or (027) 490 0749.

Kerri Capill (Christchurch) looks after all Wool Handling and Modern Apprentices in Nelson, Marlborough, North and Mid Canterbury and Canterbury and West Coast regions. Call Kerri on (03) 353 9297 or (027) 441 3335.

Robyne Murray looks after all Wool Handling and Modern Apprentices for South Canterbury, all of Otago and South-land. Call Robyne on (03) 448 7901 or (027) 581 8144.

North Island:Dean Te Huia (Te Kuiti) looks after Northland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty. Call Dean on 07 878 7666 or 027 495 0601.

Bill Hale (Takapau) looks after the North Island’s East Coast and the Hawke’s Bay regions. Call Bill on 06 06 855 8470 or 027 492 8979.

Russell Knight (Palmerston North) looks after Taranaki, Wanganui, the Manawatu and Wairarapa regions. Call Rus-sell on 06 328 4774 or 027 230 6659.

South Island:Noel Handley (Rangiora) looks after Nelson, Marlbor-ough, North Canterbury, Canterbury and the Mid Canterbury regions. Call Noel on (03) 313 3009 or (027) 295 4176.

Eric Solomon (Timaru) looks after the South Canterbury, Central Otago, and North Otago regions. Call Eric on (03) 615 5953 or (027) 292 4767

Chas Tohiariki (Invercargill) looks after Otago and South-land. Call Chas on (03) 235 2787 or (027) 246 5538.

National Certificate in Wool Handling Level 4

Renee Hooper, Jacqueline Kopua, Olga Kuti, Teresa McGregor, Tania Mills, Rosemary Winikerei.


Ashley Andrew, Tina Austin, Jonelle Janett, Shaina Kaui-ka, Sarah Keast, Leonie Le Bas, Amelia Maynard, Tamara McLean, Ramari Rogers, Cheryl Simon, Cheryl Takimoana, Rose Tapatu, Phillip Tawhai, Peggy-Sue Tohengaroa, Maramena Uatuku, Rahna Watson-Paul.


Jaynie Barrett, Erica Bentley, Le-anne Bentley, Fiona Christensen, Morgan Christey, Kelly Christie, Joseph Clark, Michael Davis, Patrick Duncan, Benjamin Fisher, Ben Fisher, Stacy Gardyne, Mar-tha Hawkins, Desmond Hetaraka, Jahna Hura, William Lawrence, Martha Marshall, Toni Mita, Holly Mita-Cryer, Richard Mulligan, Da-vid Murphy, Daniel Newell, Lovey Ranginui, Amy Smith, Sinitta Tap-atu, Desiree Taputoro, Hope Tay-lor, Josephine Taylor, Toni Timu, Annette Tyacke, Karen Waihaki, Kelvin Wilson, Pera Winiata.

National Certificate in Wool Pressing Level 3

Kacey Lima Harvie, Amber Ross.

National Certificate in Shearing Level 2

Henry Balfour, Kairan Bening-ton, Alan Boler, Thomas Borell, Kaya Campbell, Samuel Clark, Klynton Correll, Dennis Danilov, Matthew Dippie, Shane Good-win, Luke Guillard, Lance Guy, Colin Haupapa, Scott Holloway, James Joe, William Lampp, Philip Makea, Kiel Martin, Mi-chael Mitchell, Kurt Nattrass, Anthony Peeti, Benjamin Phillips, Manu Pomare, Adam Rabbidge, John Robertson, Steven Rog-ers, Giovanni Spadotto, Charles Unuwai, Taylor Van Keulen, Paki Waerea.

Shearing 21

TECTRA LIMITED : CERTIFICATE IN WOOL TECHNOLOGYThe Certificate in Wool Technology is the recognised qualification for industry professionals; it is an extramural tertiary-level course for people interested in the production, harvesting and preparation of wool. The certificate programme develops the knowledge and skills needed to supervise clip preparation in the shearing shed, for classing work in shed or store.

Farmers, Brokers, Processors – in fact anyone wanting to understand wool and the wool industry in New Zea-land, from sheep production to early stage processing will find the Certificate in Wool Technology extremely valuable.

The course is a two-year part time programme consisting of five (5) papers taught extramurally through study guides and assignments. Short, practical block courses are also held in both the North and South Islands. On successful completion of the certificate you will be offered automatic entry into the NZ Wool Classers Associa-tion. The following papers make up the certificate programme:

* Introduction to the New Zealand Wool Industry * Introduction to Sheep and Wool Production* Wool Characteristics and their Assessment * Wool Classification* Communication and Information

Registration: Applications for enrolment are open now so don’t delay!Funding:

Ministry of Social Development student loans are available. Contact StudyLink on 0800 88 99 00 to discuss • your entitlement. If you are currently receiving a domestic purposes benefit or widow’s benefit, you may be entitled to a • training incentive allowance from Work and Income New Zealand. Contact your case manager at WINZ to discuss your entitlement.

If you require more information contact: Laurie Boniface, Manager Industry Studies, Wool Building, University Avenue, Private Bag 11-222, Massey University, PALMERSTON NORTH.Tel: (06) 350 2304 : Mob: (027) 433 8925 : Fax: (06) 356 8240 : Email: [email protected]


Joel Foster, Samuel Garrett, Hoani Morris, Richard Thompson, Whanake Winson.


Donald Hill, Marcus Orr, Ashley Patterson, David Rata, Koro Tawhiao, Eugene Walker, Karl Wilson, Kelvin Wilson.

National Certificate in Blade Shearing Level 2

Jack Duckmanton.

National Certificate in Fine Wool Shearing Level 3Michael Fabish, Toby Kere Kere.

Introduction to ShearingJames Alcock-Roberts, Steven Archer, Linden Barr, Barry Berger, Reece Campbell, Jose Catala’n, Daniel Clayton, Stephen Clegg, Hone Collier, Benjamin Corri-gan, Cannon Crawford, Johny Crawford, Nicholas Cresswell, Kacey Cribb, Peter Davidson, Keri Dewar, Matthew Downey, Andrew Drummond, Jack Fagan, Hamish Fox, Tame Goldsack, Adam Goninon, Thomas Gor-don, Johnathan Guthrie, William Haakma, Martha Hawkins, Martin

Heath, Marc Hemopo, Cabe Hepi, Simon Hickman, Richard Ives, Levi Kapa, Sam Keast, Jermaine King, Azzaya Kingi, Kaea Kingi, Micah Kingi, Benjamin Koloto, Nick Manukau, Warwick Mc-Clutchie, Trent McDonald, Ryan Melton, Paul Munro, Semisi Paea, William Pullins, Hamish Reid, Ashton Renata, Adam Roe, Ben-jamin Rogers, Calvin Rongotoa, Wayne Roore, Richard Russell, Gregory Salton, Emma Scott, Jordan Smith, Zac Taylor, Shae Taylor, James Taylor, Monique Taylor, Samuel Taylor, Jerome Thomas, Tipurangi Tipuna, Fra-ser Tombleson, Tamaha Topia, Rory Wakeling, Eric Williams, Brodie Wilson, Timothy Wilson, Jacob Wilson.

Shearing 22

Book review: Stitched Up

WINZ / Courts employee requirements,

printed in seconds.

Call Payshr Payroll Ph 03 445-1345

Cell 0274 317101

By Des WilliamsHe was known for his ability to shear anything and everything and now he’s produced a book that contains a simi-larly wide variety of “incredible sto-ries, adventure and verse”.

‘He’ is John Hutchinson, six times champion of Australia and third be-hind Roger Cox and Godfrey Bo-wen at the inaugural world shearing championships in England, 1977. The same man who received the Order of Australia Medal in 1999, in recogni-tion of his services to the Australian wool industry (including many years of shearer training), and who was in-ducted into the Australian Shearers’ Hall of Fame in 2002.

As the Australian Wool Corpora-tion’s Peter Conrick explains in the Foreword to this book, “John is not quite the typical Aussie shearer. He’s a person with Christian beliefs. He doesn’t smoke, drink or swear, yet you’dfindhiminashearingshedanhour after knock off time – sharing his expertise on how to shear better.”

And when it comes to telling yarns and writing verse there aren’t many who do it better than John Hutchin-son. The book is full of anecdotes about the people and places John has met and shorn with over a period of 50 years.

At the height of his shearing career, John (along with Brian Morrison) represented Australia against New Zealand at the 1973 Golden Shears in Masterton. He recalls that trip:

“I had heard about the spectacular New Zealand shearers and somehow thought they couldn’t be that good. But, what a shock! These guys were unbelievable. Their rhythm and pre-cision along with almost fanatical dedication made us look like ama-teurs. …They showed us how to use wide shearing combs and how to hold Romneys. They kindly started us off inthequarter-finalsofthebigGoldenShears event. However, we didn’t get any further.But,whatasensationtoseethefi-

nal six place getters shear off in a huge stadium before thousands of cheering people …”

Hutchinson’s own verse adds to the colour and variety of this book.

There’s the one about the young sta-tion hand who had been given the task of “watching the weather” at shear-ing time, while the others went off to work.When later that day the rain bucketed downThey all galloped back home hell for leatherWhere wet sheep were dejectedly scanning the skyWith the station hand, watching the weather.”

Sounds not unlike the maligned young bloke who couldn’t find theleft-handed hammer! Stitched Up pro-vides more than 200 pages of similar entertainment, very well illustrated with coloured photos and excellent cartoons. If you’re into collecting books about shearers and shearing this (at $40) will be a welcome addi-tion to your bookshelves.

(Contact [email protected] for further details.)

Te Anau ShearingWe have jobs for

experienced shearers and shedhands

Phone Andrew on 03 249 7005

StJohn’sbenefitsfromCharity auction

In December 2008 the small East Coast town of Ruatoria held a shed day in conjunction with PGG Wright-son, Wool Partners International Lim-ited (WPI) and Supershear, with the shearing training provided by Super-shear ambassadors; David Fagan, Ri-chard (Digger) Balme and Dean Ball.

In the evening following the train-ing day a demonstration Speed Shear competition was held between the Su-pershear ambassadors at the local Ho-tel where David Fagan luckily drew a fast sheep in the shear off and edged out the competition to win.

The draw card of the night how-ever was the charity auction put on by PGG Wrightson for the local St John Ambulance team, who had attended to Joe Paewai 12 months earlier when he collapsed while shearing at a simi-lar event, and who died a week later without regaining consciousness.

Over 80 people attended the recent shed day and more than 170 people turned out for the charity auction held in Joe’s honour which raised $3558. The proceeds from the auction will go towards the cost of improving serv-ices provided by the St John team.

Unveiling for the late Joe Paewai, who collapsed and died while instructing at Ruatoria in 2007.

Shearing 23

This must be among the biggest gangs ever photographed and published in the magazine, and since the photographer got them all in, we will too! It’s the Proudfoots’ Poverty Bay Shearing team at Tangihau Station (10-stand shed) in November 2008. Back left: Eugene Hill, Jim Godbold, Tupz Proudfoot, Phill Proudfoot (in the pens), Edna Reihana, Mary Edwards, Aroha Akena, Tristan Mackey, Sonny Teepa (in the pens), Lewis Barnett, Hepa Akuhata-Brown, Geoff Gardner, Nicki Green, Boyboy Ward (at back), Eugene Leach, Moana Ruru, Ra Brondlynd, Rod Namana, Willy Clay, George Lewis. Front: Makare Ruru, Zion Wesche, Emma Holder, Asia McIllroy, Bianca Hiroki, Syndise Smith and Darryl Poi. The only one missing is Joyce Phillips (the cook) who was busy doing dishes at the time! (We can see why, Joyce!)

By Tony Mathews During my second seasons as a shear-er I worked with the late brothers Doug and Ernie Falconer, in the Bush district of the north Wairarapa, known today as the Tararua district.

Ernie was a very good shearer, but Doug never did really manage to get to grips with the gentle art of remov-ing the wool from the sheep whilst fleecing its owner.Their father,WH(Bill) Falconer had been a pretty quick shearer in his day. He told me his best tally was 178, done in two one and three quarter runs in an afternoon at Cotter’s shed on Ridge Road north of Pahiatua.

He omitted to say what year it was when he did it; probably in the late nineteen thirties, or early forties, but regardless of when he did it I thought it was a very good effort in any era.

Ernie liked to tell the story of how his father got a bit interested in gene-alogy, and decided to go look up some

of his more distant relatives to see if theycouldfillinafewgapsforhim.One such relation owned a sizeable spread up the coast from Gisborne, so Bill put him on the list of those he should call upon.

It seems Bill arrived on the station to find shearing in progress with anall-Maori gang in action and naturally, being a shearer, it was not long before he found his way to the shed to check out the sheep.

Now, every Wairarapa shearer has been brought up on mythical stories of what flyers the sheep are aroundGisborne, so Bill was eager to try his hand on one or two. After watching for a while, Bill made his way down to the end stand where a young lad was toiling away. When the young fellow switched off Bill asked him if he would mind if he shore a couple for him.

Bill reckoned the young shearer fixedhimwithalookofutterincredu-

lityandinavoicefilledwithwonderasked, ‘Can you?’ Bill assured the lad he could so the boy handed over his stand and Bill was away. Putting the first one out in good

time Bill was quickly in for his sec-ond, really getting to grips with these Poverty Bay sheep. In fact so taken up was he that he asked the youth if he might do a third one. With the lad’s nod of consent Bill was halfway though the third sheep when he sensed something was amiss.

Glancing round he saw he was sur-rounded by a circle of brown faces, all the other shearers had knocked off to watch the white man shearing. Bill was told later that none of the gang had ever seen a pakeha shearing be-fore, and didn’t know they could.

I doubt the story is entirely true, but it gave us a bit of a laugh one smoko, and I still have a smile to myself every time I think of it.

Those Gisborne flyers

Shearing 24

Shearing Services LtdMossburn

Professional staff required.Well above award wages paid to quality staff. Classy accommo-

dation provided.

Ring Mana or Vanessa

03 248 6122 or 0274 770 448

ALLAN SCOTT SHEARING

Experienced, reliable staff required

Accommodation availableFor all enquiries

please call Allan on 03-614 7880 or 027-248 7157

Obituary: The Ringmaster passes on

Ron Hill - was always able to “squeeze you in somewhere” if a blade shearer

was looking for a job, says Peter Race.

Ron Hill was born at home on the family farm at Greenstreet, near Ash-burton, on 4 May 1917. His father, James, was a Scottish pioneer who met and married Zella McCullough, who came from an Irish-Scottish pio-neering family.

Ron was brought up on the Green-street farm which has been in the Hill family’s name for 100 years and is presently owned by Ron’s younger brother, Flint. He was one of 10 chil-dren and left school at the age of 14 to drive a team of horses. He was a keen rugby player and represented Mid-Canterbury as a prop forward.

While working on a North Island sheep station, Ron enlisted for the army. In December 1942 he joined 8000 other reinforcement troops on the ship Aquitania, bound for the war in Egypt. He was badly injured when a truck rolled on him, but lived to tell the tale and spent three months in a Cairo hospital before being sent home. Sometimes it helps to be a prop forward! After much rehabilitation, particularly on a paralysed arm and determined effort, Ron was able to re-turn to the shearing sheds, where he had spent some time before the war. There he met his wife Aileen, while working for her father, noted Marl-borough contractor, Tui Hart.

In 1960, after 25 years of ganging experience, Ron felt it was time to es-tablish himself as a contractor, so he and Eileen moved to Kurow and set up business. Ron was shearing and ganging while Aileen paid the wages and helped with the organisation..It was here that Ron started blade shear-

ing, doing the merinos in sheds such as Waitangi and Te Akataramea Sta-tions, in the Waitaki Valley. The run quickly grew and although Kurow was Ron’s base, he covered a big area from Southland to mid-Canterbury. During the off-season Ron worked as a fencing contractor in the Waitaki Valley area.

Ron and Aileen produced a fam-ilyoffivechildren–Sharon,Ronny,Mark, Tui and Keri. Ron often had to stay away for long periods while working but Aileen would always hold the fort at home while the chil-dren were young.

The blade season would last from June to December, with little bits in

January and February. His gangs would shear about 200,000 sheep per season. He shore Mount Linton and Glenary Stations in Southland, doing about 30,000 at each.

He would employ about 30 people, including 18 shearers, at each shed. He also shore big stations through Central Otago, such as Michael Peak and Dunstan Burn, as well as Glen Lyon, Godley Peaks and Dry Creek in the McKenzie County. He would have two gangs through the busy periods, employing 15 or 16 shearers plus shed hands and cooks.

Ron gave up shearing at the age of 65, but kept contracting until he was 80, when his son Ronny took over the business. After retiring from contract-ing Ron became a successful Texel breeder, enjoying success at many A&P shows.

During his life Ron always found time for his family and took a great interest in their sport. He also coached North Otago schools rugby teams. He always had the respect of his workers and was often referred to as the Ring-master. He was famous within the gang for picking up hitch-hikers whenever he needed extra staff. At one stage in the gang there was a Canadian woman shearer, two Australian girls cooking and two English girls shed-handing, so there was always an interesting mix of people and nationalities.

Ron lived a full and active life. He loved the land and meeting people. He died on 21 August 2008, just mo-ments after tying up his dog, having gone around his texel sheep for the last time.

SouthlandAvailable for shearing,

crutching and lamb crutching

Shearers and woolhandlers required. Great working en-vironment, excellent accom-

modation

Phone Bill or Sharon03 203 7052 or 027 628 3830

Shearing 25

Race at Rotorua!By Des WilliamsNo, we’re not talking about that famous 26-mile race around the lake that takes place at Rotorua each year. Though blade shearer Peter Race might have felt like he’d run a marathon after shearing a big merino ram they put before him while he was in the Bay of Plenty city in late January. Fortunately he’s done a few biggies like that before in his career - just not recently!

Peter became one of the best blade shearers in the world by accident. Now 50 – “about the average age for a blade shearer”, he lived in several parts of the South Island during his growing years, due to the transient nature of his father’s work as a fell monger. Born in Dunedin, he completed his secondary education at both Queen Charlotte College, Pic-ton, and at Hagley High School in Christchurch.

Upon setting out to earn his own living, Peter became a contractwoolpresserattheSmithfieldworksnearTimaru,and had booked in to attend a Wool Board shearing course. Then one day his father told him he had seen “just the job” advertised in the paper and what’s more, had already made enquiries and Peter had been appointed to the position. A wool presser in a shearing gang.

“My brother drove me up to Holbrook Station where the gang was working (near Burke’s Pass) and when I walked into the shed there were no machines. I thought, ‘what’s going on here’ and discovered that it was a blade shed. So that was something different as far as I was concerned.

It was a free-lance gang and in the time-honoured fash-ion I started shearing a few at smokos and at lunchtime and after a few weeks I was able to do 100 a day.Then the other guys started telling me I was too neat for them – I was starting to look like a ‘show shearer’. Again, I had no

idea what they were talking about but soon after I joined a gang being run by Paddy O’Neill and Alec Sole that had about 15 shearers in it.

“Alec Sole became something of a mentor for me over the years and I did start doing the competitions or ‘show shearing’ as those first blokes had suggested Imight. Iwon several at the intermediate level and this was gener-ally a great era for blade shearing, with the likes of Peter Casserly, Donny Hammond, Bruce Davidson and others in their prime. I stayed with Paddy and Alec for several years before joining Peter Casserly’s gang, and worked with them for the next couple of seasons.”Peterstartedmakingfinalsatopencompetitions,and

finishingaheadoftheestablishedstars–Roffey,Gillespieand Co. “I remember someone saying to me, ‘you’re get-ting past a lot of the established guns now but you’d better keep going because there’s another one coming up right behind you!’ He was, of course, referring to Tony Dobbs.

“Then in 1985 I won the open blades title at the Alex-andra Shears and the following year (1986) won the NZ SpringShears blade title atWaimate, for thefirst time.This was the big show of the year, with maybe 25 or more shearers competing in the open competition. Usually there would be more shearers at Waimate than at Christchurch because the season is over by November and blade shear-ers are back at the works or doing some other off-season work by then.”

Peter has twice represented New Zealand overseas at world championships, in Scotland 2003 and Norway last October,makingthefinalonbothoccasions.Buthisfirsttaste of international experience came on a trip to South Africa in 1993.

“Ian Rutherford and Allan Reid were in charge of shearer training in South Africa at that time and ‘Rudds’ organised exchange visits. Tony Dobbs went over a year or so before me, and South African teams came to New Zealand for a couple of test series. The Africans were very strong, with more than 30 entered in the South African openchampionships.IthinkIwasnextintothefinal.”

Peter suggests that the experience gained by Dobbs and himself changed the face of blade shearing in New Zea-land. Whereas leading exponents here tended to be “big blow” men, the Africans employed “small snips and run-ning blows”, a technique that Dobbs and Race both em-ployed on their respective returns to New Zealand.

Peter Race shearing the big ram at Rotorua While the shorn fleece stretches from here to there!

Shearing 26

Mike BoolShearing

22 Pringle Street, Timaru

Machine and blade shearers and shedhands wanted for the

coming pre-lamb season.

Accommodation available in Fairlie, tel 03 685 6133.

Phone Mike 03 688 6538 (home) or 0274 374 369 mob.

Steve Bool 03 685 6133 (home) or 0272 047 067.

McCONACHIE SHEARING LTD

WINTON

Raelene and Jamie are just a phone call away for all your

shearing needs.

We also encourage our staff to improve their skills through

shearing sports competitions.

Tel 03 236 9987Mob 0274 336 477

ers averaging something over 10,000 sheep a season.

“When I started 30 years ago the season extended from mid-May to the end of November and there may have been close to a million sheep shorn by blades in those days.”

Peter works for Oamaru contractor Jim Barnett and has previously been a contractor himself, in partnership with Omarama publican Ross Kel-man. He was also a shearing instruc-tor for more than 20 years. He’s added another fiveWaimate

titles to his credit since gaining that first ribbon in 1986, (1992, 1993,2000, 2001, 2006) and “finally wonthe Golden Blades at Christchurch in 2007 after many years of trying!” He also won at MacKenzie Shears (1992)

and Omarama in 1994, and is one of New Zealand’s 18 recognised Master blade shearers.

Away from the sheds (which is most of the time, since the typical blade season is now mid-July to late October) Peter has tried his hand at a variety of work. Apart from his main-stay job as a slaughterman at Smith-field, he and his wife Jane owned adairy in Timaru for several years and, more recently, were proprietors of the Fairlie Hotel.

Peter is also “up with the play” as a follower of most sports, particularly rugby. He was an age group and un-der-19 representative for South Can-terbury,playedfiveseasonsofseniorrugby and later coached teams for the Star RFC in Timaru.

(From page 25)“The Africans used shears with a

six-inch blade, while New Zealand shears had 7¼ inch blades.”

Although he has never worked in the North Island, Peter was presented with a reasonable challenge on a re-cent trip to Rotorua, as special guest of the Rotorua A&P Association, cel-ebrating its centennial show.

As well as doing several ‘demos’ on crossbred sheep during the day, he was quickly lined up by Alan Hale and Steve White at the Agrodome to giveahugemerinoramitsfirst trimin quite a while. The “20-minute job” proved to be a spectacular bonus for the largely Asian audience enjoying an otherwise typical Agrodome farm experience.

Peter estimates that about 500-600,000 sheep are still shorn by blades in the South Island high country. “That’s based on say 50 blade shear-

Peter Race with a little crossbred - “That’s more like it!”

The two-arm permanently installed swivel system to hang shearing bungies from. The two arms give full freedom of movement and will reach as far as the handpiece will reach. The ‘‘Back Mate’’ is the answer to making the bungy work properly.

‘Back Mate’ $290 + GSTOpen Side Bungy $390 + GSTClosed Bungy $370 + GSTP&P per item $12 + GST

Mesa and Debbie LandPhone 09 405 9715

Mobile 0274 426 [email protected]

Shearing 27

Tua ShearingEketahuna

A great place for good people to work!

Work all year round ...shear more sheep ...

work in good sheds ...spend less time travelling ...

good meals and accommodation ... part of a friendly, professional team ...

Contact Motu on 06 375 8488or Lionel on 06 376 7877

or via our website

www.tuashearing.com

NZ Champs celebrates 25 yearsBy Des WilliamsOf all the virtuoso performances pro-duced at the New Zealand champion-ships over the past 25 years from the likes of Fagan, Forde, Avery, Kumer-oa, Alabaster and company, it may well be that maestro Arwyn Jones will be remembered among them 25 years from now.

From the stage of the aptly named Waitomo Cultural and Arts Centre on Saturday evening, the Wales team manager sang that spine-tingling na-tional anthem of Wales, The Land of My Fathers, prior to the shearing test against New Zealand. The Welsh team came to Te Kuiti three nil down in the four-test series, but with a win against the New Zealand Development team to its credit, and hopeful of securing at least one victory to take home. Alas it was not to be, for Paul Avery and John Kirkpatrick again proved too good for that old cam-paigner, Nicky Beynon, and rising star Gareth Daniel. But the margin was only 10 points or so and a good deal of that came through time advantage.Whileon tour inWalesfiveyearsago thiswriterfirst

heard about the singing voice possessed by Arwyn Jones, who is perhaps the icon of Welsh shearing. David Fagan

(on his umpteenth trip to Wales) had knowingly suggested, ‘You should hear Arwyn sing the Welsh national anthem – he is unbelievable!’ Unfortunately that trip did not provide theoccasionforonetohearthemansing,butthefive-yearwait until Te Kuiti last week was worth it.

A couple of hours before the evening session at Te Kuiti, Arwyn revealed to this writer that he was feeling extremely nervous, because he’d ‘had it put on him a few days ago’ to sing the anthem for his country prior to the test.

(To page 28)

New Zealand and Wales teams at Te Kuiti, from left: John Kirkpatick, Paul Avery, Mike Barnett (manager), Arwyn Jones (manager), Gareth Daniel and Nicky Beynon.

Shearing 28

Confessing that I had been waiting five years for the occasion was notmeant to add any pressure, but Arwyn said he had never sung it in public be-fore, and an ear infection was upset-ting his ability to hold the tune.

Well, he held the tune that we all know so well from watching those rugby matches at Cardiff Arms Park and more recently, from the Millen-nium Stadium. You can bet Nicky Beynon has heard the anthem a few hundred times in his life, and Gareth too. But Beynon’s face was a study in itself during Arwyn’s rendition – the adrenalin visibly running and eyes moistly glinting.

The shearing and woolhandling produced over the three days of cham-pionship competition was also of a standardbefittingthe25thanniversaryofthechampionships,firstheldatTeKuiti in 1985. By one of those slices of good fortune, it happens that only six shearers have won the open cham-pionship in those 25 years – one for each stand. And even the three “old-ies” – Colin King, John Fagan and Edsel Forde – are all in pretty good shape, which provided the perfect opportunity to see them all together again on stage.

Thanks to some astute handicap-ping that saw King and Fagan get a

‘Hey look, Ross, there we are up on the big screen for all to see - we look pretty cool with these headsets on!’ (Ross McDonald and Ed Morrow at the New Zealand champion-ships, displaying just some of the hi-tech gadgetry required for the successful orchestration of your 21st century shearing competition.) Opposite: Jerome McCrea in action during the final of the North Island Shearer of the Year event, in which he finished sixth to match his Golden Shears effort.

start of 35 seconds and Forde 15 sec-onds, (Avery, Fagan and Kirkpatrick all together off scratch) the six fin-ished their four sheep all within 25 seconds of each other and it came as no surprise that King, the left-handed master was named as the winner.Forthefifthtimeinhiscareer,Paul

Avery won the North Island Shearer of the Year title, main event on the Friday night programme. James Fagan used his skill on the merinos to claim the New Zealand Shears multi-breeds circuit final, and “Johnny” made ittwo in a row in the Open, 1.5 points clear of David Fagan.

It was two-in-a-row for Ian Kirk-patrick (John’s nephew) as well in the senior final as he edged out thefasterfinishingKelvinWalkerofTau-marunui. Kirkpatrick also won the senior title at Golden Shears, and was NZ intermediate champion last season.

The presentation of the open wool-handling championship to Sheree Al-abaster was preceded by the unveiling of the Gina Nathan memorial taonga, twomagnificenttrophiesmastermind-ed by Lisa Fagan and Keryn Herbert in memory of their mentor and 2008 NZ champion, who died at Dunedin Hospital last month.

Alabaster has had a lean time since winning the world championship at Norway last October but she returns to the New Zealand honours board for the fourth time, following successive wins in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

(See full results page 33.)

Junior woolhandling finalists at NZ Championships, from left: Ian Buchanan (Pres-ident), Geordie Jackson, Hailee Warren, Kanya Janett, Hilda Kumeroa and Cath-erine Christy, the winner, who also won the North Island circuit at Masterton.

Shearing 29

COMBINED SHEARINGMiddlemarch and Ranfurly

OtagoTel/Fax Ben Carson

03 464 3023 or 027 227 2307

Permanent positions for quality shearers and shedhands

Member of the NZ Shearing Contractors’ Association

By Jills Angus BurneyThe Employment Relations Amend-ment Bill came into effect on 1 March 2009, giving employers with fewer than 20 staff the right to sack work-ers on a trial period without giving the reasons for dismissal. The new law removes substantial workplace pro-tectionsforasignificantsectorofthepermanent workforce.

Workers on a trial period will no longer be protected by personal griev-ance provisions nor will they be able to claim unfair dismissal. This change may affect over 300,000 workers look-ing for new jobs because of the huge flowofunemployedworkerslookingfor work.

The ability to use 90-day trial pe-riods in permanent recruitment is not new. The new employment law does not, as most people seem to think, in-troduce 90 day probationary or trial periods for all workers. When trial and probationary periods were re-moved by National in the 1990s, La-bour reintroduced them nine years ago through section 67 of the Employment Relations Act 2000.

The use of a trial period or pro-bation is an important tool available for employers to negotiate with new workers. It may give some employ-ers leeway to take a risk before per-manently hiring a new worker. Some

agricultural and trucking contractors use this provision to cull out recruits to permanently hire good workers.

But what does this mean for casual workers in the shearing industry?

The new law extends that right to sack now not just for poor perform-ance but into any reason or for no reason at all but only if the worker is on a trial employment agreement. However before any contractor rubs their hands and considers the absolute power this appears to give them, be clear this only applies if the worker is under a written employment agree-ment for a trial period of no less than 90 days guaranteed work. Otherwise, the right to sack without reason does not apply and gives workers the right to cry ‘hang on, that’s unfair’.

Barry Pullin, industrial spokesman for the NZ Shearing Contractors’ As-sociation, says this new law would not apply in shearing as most contrac-tors use a “day to day hiring method”. Shearing contractors do not use trial periods either as there is no set period to employ workers other than as casu-als on a day-by-day basis.

Pullin says shearing contractors will hardly weigh up the risk of being sued for unfairness or threat of a per-sonal grievance being brought as legal actions in the industry are rare. But they will have to be clear about what the new law does allow.

He warns that the new law “clearly

does not mean contractors would be able to sack a shed worker just for the sake of it. The rules of good faith andunjustifieddisadvantage still ap-ply and anything to do with wages is still under the Wages Protection Act. It does not mean that workers can be trialed without being paid either.”

The government says the law was necessary to remove work rights from those who are marginal workers to in-crease their opportunities for employ-ment. The Maori Party disagreed and says the marginal workers referred to by the Government as “unskilled or maybe recently released from prison” are more likely to be Maori. They say the risk is for both young or old; Maori will be further discriminated against by this new law. Maori Party MP’s voted against the law as did La-bour and the Greens. Pullen says too that the shearing industry has always been one step ahead of the politicians and has a long history of giving ‘mar-ginal’ workers a chance.

So if you work in the shearing industry and if you’re not on both a written agreement and a trial period this new law won’t apply. One might suggest it makes nonsense of changing employment law but still not having very clear rules for rural casual work-ers. Well, forgive the pun from this re-tired sheep shearer, but a government is hardly achieving something if these laws don’t apply in the immediate real world. The shearing industry is outside the usual box and as long as everyone follows good work relationship then the new law is largely irrelevant.

The 90-day law

Direct Shearing LtdEketahuna

Shearers and woolhandlers required

Ring Eddie on 06 375 8252

Nineteen-year-old Brendan Graham of Ireland (son of former Irish champion George Graham) earned himself a green ribbon for fourth placing in the Golden Shears novice event last month.

Shearing 30

Criterion Club Hotel7-10 Tarbert Street, Alexandra

Tel 03 448 7204: Fax 03 448 7378

Hosts: Tony & Corranne Flannery

The Middle PubCheaper accommodation, new kitch-en and dining room, TAB and CRT

Legendz Bar & Restaurant

RON DAVIS SHEARING LTDCoveringOtago,Southlandandfurtherafield

from our bases at Balclutha and Otama

Shearers and shedhands - we provide excel-lent accommodation and living conditions, clean

sheep, great sheds, steady work.

We focus on providing top quality shearing and wool preparation service for our many clients in a competitive but relaxed working atmosphere

Farmers - we have the crew to meet your needs - when you want it, how you want it.

Ring Jason - tel 03 418 0824. E-mail [email protected]

Above: Colin Lalich of Waharoa receives some help from Rob Parkinson to set up his 1948 Lister 2-stand portable plant (2hp, 1000rpm) for action at the Waikato Vintage Machinery Expo in Hamilton, March 2009, while (below) Rob does a tidy job before an admiring audience. “Farming life the way it was” demonstrations included shearing, grain threshing and chaff cutting, among other disappearing rural skills.

Above: The people of Toko and District acknowledge the new world champion in their midst - Roger Cox (old world champ 1977) presents Paul Avery with a crystal ‘globe’ of the world.Below: Has this happened before? Three brothers made the open semi-finals at the National Lamb Shearing champion-ship at Raglan in January. From left, Rowland, Douglas and Matthew Smith - Kumara kids, according to commentators.

Shearing 31

Participants in a pre-lamb shearing and woolhandling course provided by Tectra, for Peter Lyon Shearing staff. The practical part of the course was held at Glene Dean Station at Lake Hawea.(Mike Gourdie/Tectra photo)

A Good Boss - 1880s style!“Mr William A Low, of the Galloway Run, is well spoken of by the men who knew him and there are various stories concerning his equitable tem-per. One day he was riding along his fenceless boundary to see if all was well when he suddenly came upon a new hand who had been engaged as a boundary keeper.

“The man was lying on his back, lazing in the sun, so to test his knowl-edge of the locality, the runholder asked him the way to Black’s Run. The man, being quite unaware of the identity of his questioner, continued in his indolent attitude and lazily pointed the direction with his toe.

“The runholder said, ‘Is that all the courtesy you show to travellers?’ and rode on. The man [later learned the identity of his questioner and fully] expected to be dismissed but nothing further happened in the matter.

“On another occasion Low went into a billiard saloon in Alexandra and, seeing a very good player, asked him who he was, and to his surprise the man replied “I’m one of Low’s boundary keepers.’

“‘Oh’, said the runholder, ‘and is this the boundary?’”

From Early Runholding In Otago, by James Herries Beattie, Otago Daily Times and Witness Newspapers Co. Ltd, Dunedin, 1947.

That’ll learn ya!According to a news report, a certain private school in Washington was re-cently faced with a unique problem. A number of 12-year-old girls had begun to use lipstick and would put it on in thebathroom.Thatwasfine,butafterthey put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints.

Every night the maintenance man would remove them and the next day the girls would put them back. Finally the principal decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man.

She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the maintenance man who had to clean the mirrors every night (you can just imagine the yawns from the little princesses). Todemonstratehowdifficultitwas

to clean the lipstick from the mirrors, she asked the maintenance man to demonstrate to the girls how much ef-fort was required. He dutifully took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet bowl, and cleaned the mirror with it.

Since then - a minor miracle you might say - there have been no lip prints on the mirror.

There are teachers ... and then there are educators. (Thanks Swampy!)

Everything you need to knowEverything you need to know about life, you can learn from reading the story of Noah’s Ark. In no particular order:

Don’t miss the boat•We are all in the same boat•Plan ahead, it wasn’t raining when •Noah built the ArkStayfit.When you are 600 years•old, someone may ask you to do something really bigDon’t listen to critics; just get on •with the job that needs to be doneBuild your future on high ground•For safety’s sake, travel in pairs•Speed isn’t always an advantage. •The snails were on board with the cheetahsWhenyou’restressed,floatawhile•Remember, professionals built •the Titanic and amateurs built the Ark.

(Actually, Irish professionals built the Titanic, but some English amateur was driving it when it crashed.)

SUTTO’S SHEARSShearing contractor17 Neilsen Street, GuyraNew South Wales 2365

Staff wantedJuly to November

Contact Damien SuttonPhone 02 6779 2131Mob 0418 792 131

Want cheerful, helpful support?Call Payshr Payroll

Ph 03 445-1345 Cell 0274 317101

Shearing 32

BLEASEL SHEARINGWinton, Southland

Shearers and woolhandlers required for mainshear

October to March. Top pay rates, seasonal or permanent

positions.

Phone Dean03 236 8743

Baynes women add to shearing folklore

Ainsley Shearing Co.Central Otago

* We have an excellent pre-lamb run * We employ quality-conscious people * If you perform, work continuity is guaranteed

Phone Daryl or Toni on

o3 445 0403

JEFF DORSETS H E A R I N G

R O T O R U A

“We support all that is best in shearing.”

DRUG FREE GANGSTOP RATES

Jeff 0274 920 758or 07 348 0318

[email protected]

By Doug LaingA Wairoa mother and daughter team stunned the shearing world on 13 January by together shearing a record 903 lambs in eight hours - more than a hundred more than even they them-selves dreamed possible. The huge tally, by 54-year-old Marg Baynes and daughter Ingrid (22), was completed at Moketenui Station, Mangapehi (be-tween Te Kuiti and Bennydale), in the King Country.

They claimed the vacant world women’s two-stand eight-hour strong-wool lamb shearing record, with In-grid surpassing her previous best of 310 to also secure the vacant women’s solo record with a tally of 470. Ten years ago that would have been good enough to beat the men’s record!

Shearing the standard eight-hour-day from 7am to 5pm with two half-hour breaks for smoko and an hour for lunch, Ingrid Baynes had an im-peccable day, opening with 116; shore 117 in the run to lunch, and passed her previous best in the third run, also of117,beforefinishingwithherbestrun of the day, 120. Marg Baynes had runs of 112, 112, 108 and 108, but had three rejected by the World Records Society judges, headed by Australian Bernie Walker, and finished with atally of 433.

The other notable milestones in-cluded their individual goals of 400, which Ingrid claimed with 1hr 10min to go, and which her mother passed just over half an hour later, a few min-utes before also beating her previous best of 408, set 36 years ago.Marg Baynes first thought of the

record bid 18 months ago, and told

her mother Lilian Wright, who had raised eight children near Kawhia, all of whom could shear. Mrs Wright said as she watched the record unfold in front of a crowd which swelled to over 200: “I thought she was mad.”

Within half an hour of the shearing marathon’sfinish,motheranddaugh-ter had shed themselves of jeans, sin-glets and moccasins and dressed them-selves in glam evening wear to accept theircommemorativecertificates.

Marg Baynes said she wanted to do something like the record with some-one in her family before she was too old. “If we hadn’t been doing this to-gether, I would have forgotten about it a long time ago.” Marg had battled a back injury throughout, but survived with the tender care and encourage-

ment of husband Colin, daughter and Te Kuiti physiotherpist Storm Baynes, and a huge band of crew and support-ers, many of whom travelled from Northern Hawke’s Bay for the day.

Ingrid, who cut her non-shearing left hand in practice the previous week, perhaps revealed her underly-ingconfidencewhenshesaidshewasable to think of other things during the arduous day on the board, like wheth-er the speech she had pre-written had thanked all of those who helped.

“And I’m really looking forward to myfirstbeerforawhile,”shesaid.

Ingrid and Marg Baynes receive deserved plaudits on a record job well done.

Shearing 33

SOUTHLAND

DARYN & CHARMAINE MURRAY

Integrity Shearing giving you the respect you deserve

PO BOX 16, OHAITEL 03 225 4605FAX 03 225 4020Email: [email protected]

Freephone 0800 124605

Dowd Shearing Products Ltd

Specialising in Golden Aceshearing pants

Tel (Aust) 03 9308 9365

New Zealand contacts:Tracy Dowd 07 825 7346Quinn Dowd 03 464 3447Shayne Dowd 07 878 8976

Light, double thickness, black fibreStylishly tailored, affordable.

Results New Zealand Shearing Championships 2009:Shearing:NZ open: John Kirkpatrick, Napier, 51.07 1; David Fagan, Te Kuiti, 52.72 2; Dean Ball, Te Kuiti, 53.05 3; Paul Avery, Stratford,53.08 4; Dion King, Napier, 57.28 5; David Buick, Pongaroa, 57.45 6.NZ Shears circuit: James Fagan, Te Kuiti, 71.33 1; David Fagan, Te Kuiti, 72.78 2; Tony Coster, Rakaia, 72.97 3; Dean Ball, Te Kuiti, 73.37 4; Nathan Stratford, Invercargill, 74.48 5; Dion King, Napier, 75.19 6.North Island Shearer of the Year: Paul Avery, Stratford, 53.96 1; John Kirkpatrick, Napier, 55.22 2; Dean Ball, Te Kuiti, 56.76 3; David Fa-gan, Te Kuiti, 59.23 4; Dion King, Napier, 61.35 5; Jerome McCrea, Wanganui, 62.13 6.International: New Zealand (Paul Avery, John Kirkpatrick) 73.00 penalties beat Wales (Nicky Beynon, Gareth Daniel) 83.39.Past Champions: Colin King, Blenheim, 18.69 1; David Fagan, Te Kuiti, 19.84 2; John Kirkpatrick, Napier, 19.91 3; Paul Avery, Strat-ford, 20.09 4; John Fagan, Waihi, 21.08 5; Edsel Forde, Hamilton, 21.79 6.Senior: Ian Kirkpatrick, Gisborne, 47.00 1; Kelvin Walker, Tau-marunui, 47.25 2; Mark Grainger, Te Kuiti, 47.45 3; Lindsay Brown, Gisborne, 48.24 4; Aaron Haynes, Feilding, 49.19 5; Alex Reid, Taihape, 49.45 6.Intermediate: Matene Mason, Masterton, 1; Dane Phillips, Kaiwaka, 2; Joseph Maher, Taihape, 3; Shane Hackett, Christchurch, 4; Dwayne Hackett, Pukekohe, 5; Kerri-Jo Te Huia, Te Kuiti, 6.Junior: Sharnie Rimene, Masterton, 1; Wi Ngarangione, Gisborne, 2; Darcy Bennett, Taumarunui, 3; Turuhia Edmonds, Raetihi, 4; Simon Robinson, Masterton, 5; Paulie Smith, Taumarunui, 6.MWNZ junior circuit: Wi Ngarangione, Gisborne, 1; Peter Spilman, Palm. North, 2; Turuhia Edmonds, Raetihi, 3; Sharnie Rimene, Master-ton, 4; Simon Robinson, Pukekohe, 5; Cameron Hicks, Marton, 6.

Novice: TJ Christensen, Taumarunui, 1; Bryce Guy, Kaeo, 2; Daniel Murray, Marton, 3; Selena Birchler, Eketahuna, 4; Simon Goss, Kim-bolton, 5; Rowan Moorhouse, Te Awamutu, 6.Woolhandling:New Zealand open: Sheree Alabaster (Taihape) 64.63 1; Tina Rimene, Masterton, 93.77 2; Ronnie Goss, Kimbolton, 95.45 3; Monica Potae, Milton, 130.88 4; Kerri-Jo Te Huia, Te Kuiti, 141.47 5.Senior: Walter Edmonds, Raetihi, 1; Angela Aldridge, Te Kuiti, 2; Natalie Collier, Te Kuiti, 3; Peggy-Sue Tohengaroa, Piopio, 4; Janelle Janett, Te Awamutu, 5.Junior: Catherine Christy, Te Awamutu, 1; Hilda Kumeroa, Wanganui, 2; Kanya Janett, Te Awamutu, 3; Hailee Warren, Te Kuiti, 4; Geordie Jackson, Te Kuiti, 5.

Kerri-Jo Te Huia of Te Kuiti displayed her versatility at the New Zealand championships with a fifth placing in the open woolhandling and sixth in the intermediate shearing.

Shearing 34

Irish eyes are smiling By Doug Laing and Des WilliamsAn Irishman who left school at the age of 14 to help on the family farm in County Donegal because they neededhimhasbecomethefirstover-seas shearer to set an individual world shearing record in New Zealand.

Ivan Scott, 27, from the township of Kilmacrenan, though based in New Zealand for much of the time since firstarrivingin2000,shore736rom-ney lambs on 18 December 2009 to break the world eight-hour strongwool lamb-shearing record at the Onuku Maori Trust Farm at Rerewhakaaitu, south-east of Rotorua.

But, after a strong opening with a record 7am-9am run of 192, he left it till just three minutes 5pm before erasing the previous record of 731, set by Taihape shearer Justin Bell seven years ago. Now a farmer at Weber in Southern Hawke’s Bay, Bell was one of Scott’s right-hand men throughout the four two-hour runs regulated by the World Sheep Shearing Records Society, and was among the first tocongratulate him at the end.

“Those two hour-runs are bloody tough,” said Bell, who set his record at Opepe near Taupo and followed up two years later at Onuku with the nine hour-hour record. “I’m proud of you, mate,” he told Scott.While the first run put him five

ahead of Bell’s tally at the same stage, it wasn’t a breeze for Scott who actu-

ally shore 745 during the day, but had nine rejected by judges Peter Artridge (Australia), Doug Oliver (North Is-land) and John Hough (South Island), and was also constantly close to break-ing the 12pt penalty barrier which could have seen him warned about his quality,andevendisqualified.Nevertheless,officiallypostedwith

185 in the second run from 9.30am-11.30am, and 182 from 12.30-2.30pm, Scott entered the last run with a com-fortable target of 172, and was able to keep the bid under control. He started the last run with 27 lambs, his fastest quarter-hour of the day, and ultimate-ly shore 177 in the last two hours. By comparison, Bell’s tallies per run were 187, 185, 179, and 180.

Considering approximately an hour of the day was eaten-away by the four orfivesecondscatchingtimebetweenlambs, the average time per lamb was about 32 seconds. They each cut an average of just over 1kg of wool, comfortably over the minimum re-quirement of 0.9kg.

Scott looked ready to do it all again as he accepted congratulations from record organiser and Rotorua shearing contractor Jeff Dorset, and from regu-lar South Island boss Barry Pullen and others, and said he hadn’t thought about challenging the nine-hour record of 866, held by Napier shearer Dion King. Although he last summer shore 878 in an unjudged nine-hour day at work, he said: “I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

Jeff Dorset was happy to see Scott get there in the end, but suggested that a bit more thought on his own part could have seen Scott add another 50 or more lambs to his tally on the day.

“The lambs were pretty close to the end of their drenching cycle and I didn’t take that into account. By the time they had gone without water overnight and emptied out, the worms were starting to bite, and by morning smoko they weren’t the quick-shear-ing lambs they should have been.

“Ivan could have been comfortably up over 770 or even close to 800 if I had managed that aspect of it for him just a little bit better. He starts slow and gets quicker through the day. It’s testimony to Ivan’s physical and me-natl conditioning that he was able to achieve this record even though the lambs had gone off, which means it is hard to shear them fast and clean.

“I have learnt that there is no room for complacency when preparing sheep for world class shearers like Ivan to rely on for these world record attempts.”

And while Scott was just happy to have the world record certificatesafely in his grasp, back home there is a long-standing Irish record of 455 ewes, held by popular shearing iden-tity George Graham, a commentator at the world shearing championships in Norway in October. That prospect may keep a glint of a smile in those Irish eyes for a little bit longer ...

Ivan Scott, the record-setting Irishman!

Shearing 35

YEAR-ROUND WITH THE PAEWAI MULLINS TEAM

If you want to settle down with good conditions and steadywork,shearingorwoolhandling,youcouldfinda place in the Paewai Mullins team. We work for some great people and we have some great people working for us. There is always room for one more.

Box 129, Dannevirke.Tel 06 374 6882 : Fax 06 374 6881Mob 0275 395 078 (Tuma)Mob 0275 339 547 (Aria)

www.shearingnz.co.nz

Positions available for permanent and

seasonal staff with good work ethics

for our Central Otago Shearing Run

Opportunities to upskill for

Shearers, Woolhandlers and Pressers

All enquiries welcome

Phone Dion and Gabriela on 03 448 9170

Or 027 630 9081

Farewell Gina, perfectionistBy Doug LaingReigning national woolhandling champion Gina Nathan, who died recently in Dunedin hospital from complications after an operation for a lung complaint, had been one of NewZealand’stopwoolhandlerssince1987,havingfirstbeing coaxed into competitions by Alexandra contractors, Peter and Elsie Lyon . Ginafinishedrunner-uptofellowCentralOtagowool-

handlerPatrickShelfordinthenationalfinewoolchampi-onshipinAlexandraatherfirstattempt,wonthetitlethefollowing year and repeated the victory at least three more times, in 1992,1997 and 2001.

Originally from the Hastings area but based in Alexan-dra for almost 30 years, Gina was later second to Shelford again, in the 1996 world championship at Masterton.

In a 22-year-year open-class career, Gina saved her best

for the best, with a patient wait for the ultimate triumphs She won the Golden Shears open at Masterton in 2005 and 2006,havingfinishedsecondatleastfourtimes,andwhenshewontheNewZealandchampionshipopenfinalinTeKuiti in March last year she became only the third shear-ing sports athlete to win both of the premier titles.

Earlier last season Gina had won the New Zealand Spring Shears title in Waimate and the Southern Shears Open in Gore. She also twice won the national crossbred lamb woolhandling championships at Riversdale, and when she last competed, at Winton in January, she again reachedthefinalandfinishedfourth.

Gina’s career achievements led to her being awarded Master Woolhandler status by Shearing Sports New Zea-land, whose chairman, John Fagan, said she would be a big loss to the industry and the sport.Astoryinthe1993finewoolchampionshipsprogramme

noted Gina’s commitment in overseeing the woolhandling during the shearing events, and how, even after winning the previous year, she worked until well after the finalspeeches before starting her own celebrations.

She was also sought after as a woolhandler by shearers attempting world records. Mrs Lyon told the Otago Daily Times that Gina had trained a lot of people in the industry, and was a “perfectionist” who set high standards.

Murray McSkimming said Gina was a noted woolclass-er with the ability to distinguish between microns by feel.

Champion woolhandler Gina Nathan, who died at Dunedin Hospital last month, less than a year after winning the New Zealand 2nd-shear woolhandling championhip at Te Kuiti.

Shearing 36

Steady on the doom and gloom

PETER LYON SHEARINGPeter and Elsie are always looking for good employees, especially July-Oct and Dec-April. We shear 1.6 million sheep and crutch them at least once, so 3 million sheep have to be put out the porthole by somebody! Consider this:

• Topaccommodation,mealsandtravelprovided.Theonlychargeisajanitor’sfee $5 per day for shed staff and $7 per day for shearers.• ShearingpayratesasperNZSCAemploymentagreement(oraboveformerinos). Copy of employment agreement available on request.• Shedstaffpaidatagreedrates-attitudeandabilitytoperformmainconsiderations.• Payonceaweek,everyweek.Experiencenotessential-wearehappytopasson our experience from within the company.• Goodstandardofbehaviourexpected-wetakeadimviewofdrugsandtoomuch alcohol.• ReliableweatherpatternsinCentralOtago.

Wewelcomeyourenquiries-confidentwewillstackupastopqualityemployersBox 321 Alexandra: Tel 03 448 6378 : fax 03 448 9201

By Tom HardingAs the whole world darkens under the sweeping black clouds that are the self-fulfillingprophecyofaglobalre-cession, it can be all too easy to get drawn into the defeatist attitude of doom and gloom.

Every day the media, from pa-pers and chat shows to blogs and the evening news, tell us of the worsen-ing economic outlook; yet further incomprehensible losses from once proud financial institutions, anotherhigh-street chain facing administra-tion with the loss of hundreds (or even thousands)morejobs,newfiguresjustout predicting an even bleaker outlook than already expected…

UK Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, the unfortu-nately named Ed Balls, even went so far as to say that this could be the worst world-wide economic collapse for over 100 years, surpassing even the great depression of the 1930s.

An enormous bubble created and fuelled by the measureless greed of bankers across America and in the city ofLondonhasfinallyburstandnowitseems that we are all going to suffer the inevitable pain that follows.

In the agricultural and shearing in-dustries, however, we are well accus-tomed to turbulence, periods of hard-ship and uncertainty and of a dismal future outlook.

While most of the rest of the world has enjoyed a 10-year boom, we have endured continually falling wool prices, a substantial drop in income in real terms and, at times, unsustainably low stock prices. All whilst our input costs of everything from fertiliser and

diesel to shearing gear have doubled, even trebled in some cases. So now that the rest of the world is coming to terms with the prospect of a period of hardship and austerity, perhaps it’s a good time for us to stand back, take a look and realise just how lucky we actually are!

Whilst many top city bankers have gone from worrying about being shorn of their eye-watering bonuses to facing the very real possibility of un-employment, we in the shearing and sheep farming industries are always guaranteed the opportunity to make a living; no matter how bad things get the world will always need food.Even wool could eventually make a slow comeback as inevitable future oil price shocks push clothes manu-facturers away from a reliance on synthetic fibres and competition forland for food and biofuels pushes up the price of cotton.

In these uncertain times we are so lucky to work in an industry that is very unlikely to go into serious de-cline, that rewards honest hard work, that can keep you in top physical con-dition, and where there are opportu-nities to travel and work almost any-where in the world. Another factor that makes our industry so special is the amazing sense of teamwork and ca-maraderie within it, an unwritten law that you always help a friend or peer who is in need, no matter what. That feeling that, like a top rugby team,

the whole of the gang is worth far, far more than the sum of the parts.

There is a fantastic sense of humour to be enjoyed too, from old stories told at smoko and over a few beers to the everyday pranks and banter that good gangs thrive on. Most people who work in the sheds probably make the best friends of their lives there.

Finally there is the sense of satis-faction of achievement that can be ob-tained both in the work environment and at shows. Many former high-flyers in the city probably now lookpretty sheepish about some of their supposed career accomplishments. What was at the time acknowledged as great success is now realised to be only part of a bubble, an unsustain-able illusion; they had succeeded in pulling the wool over the eyes of the globalfinancialsystem.

But who can ever take away from a young shearer the satisfaction of doinghisfirst200,orawoolhandlerwinning their first junior show? Noone. Because it is honest and real. Who can ever take away the achieve-ments of show shearing greats like ‘Snow’ Quinn?

So, rather than look for the dark clouds gathering on the horizon, why not recognise that the sun is out and out to stay. And instead of investing in stocks and shares opt for a way of life that pays far higher dividends than any company on the FTSE 100 or the NZSX ever will.

Forde Shearing LtdTuatapere, Southland

Staff required for new season. For all

enquiries please phone Darin or Julie

0272 297 760 or03 236 7760

Shearing 37

Based in Riversdale, Southland

Shearers / ShedhandsWanted for hard working,

professional teamMust be honest and reliable

Permanent or Seasonal

Main shear 5 January - mid AprilTop accommodation

Top pay ratesPaid weekly

Phone:Roger 03 202 5543 Cell 027 205 2192

Email: [email protected]

Would you like your sheep shorn by a company that:Does a top job at competitive rates?• Is accessible and can be contacted at any time?• Has all gangs supervised by quality personel?•

POTAE SHEARING HAS BEEN PROVIDING THESE SERVICES FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS

For a free, no obligation quote, contact Bill or Jim on 03 417 8123, any time.

A/H Jim 03 417 7289 or Bill 03 417 7246

By Mike HansbyAs I was approaching Frankfurt Airport I wondered how this trip would turn out. I had arranged for Dirk the Ger-man contractor to have a Cap on so I could ID him when finishedwiththeimmigrationandcustoms.

We drove north in the ubiquitous diesel Mercedes to Leverkusen, sometimes hitting 160kph on the autobahn with the odd vehicle passing us. We arrived at Leverkusen, Central Germany where Dirk lives, had a bite to eat then left for the job. I had been awake for 20hrs. Most of the German farmers flocks are about 500 head.At shearingtime they hold the sheep in one pen and feed them in to an-other where they are shorn. Each shearer has a stand where the wrangler muscles the sheep to your stand. Positioning a 100kilo German merino ewe requires a big effort, the long dag covered tail also has to be shorn or else ‘kleen, kleen’ is heard from the sheep owner.

The lack of English surprised me, also the food was very basic - different types of sausages for lunch with bread. The impression I got was the farmer thought I was from Eastern Europe and was treated so, trying to enlighten them was a waste of time. Our crew was Dirk the German, two Polish shearers, one Aussie, one Irishman and a Kiwi, while the wrangling was done by a Bulgarian.

I began to realise this was not going to be a straight-forward job. The 100 kilo ewes were very fatiguing being full as ticks and covered in wool with the German owner watching like a hawk and yelling out ‘kleen, kleen!’ Safety was non-existent, getting knocked over by sheep as you were trying to shear happened all the time. The rate of 1.20 Euros per head began to pale although the sun shine kept beating down.

After we had the job completed in the evening and the shearing plant dismantled and packed in a trailer we would go to the owners house to shower, have some more sau-sages, jump in the motor home and drive through the night

to the next job. Most of the owners would sell the lambs for cash to the local Turkish community.

I stayed for two months and in that time we clocked up 5000km from central Germany, north to the Baltic Sea and as far west as Lichtenstein. I was not a happy camper but bit the bullet and did the two months. The photo below is of Dirk shearing German style.

Springtime in Deutschland

Shearing 38

Shear Family EnjoymentBy Barbara NewtonThe Stonehenge property of Jim and Sue Hore at Patearoa, Central Otago, provided the venue for Alexandra’s O’Neill family a while back to embark on a little fund-raising ex-ercise. Five brothers - Colin, Charlie, Kevin, Shaun and John - offered their services at a fund-raising auction to raise some cash in support of their sister’s (Atiria) hock-ey team trip to the national championships in Auckland. Their efforts raised $2600, with the successful bidder be-ing none other than Peter Lyon, shearing contractor, who employs the O’Neill boys in his gangs. Father of the boys, Terry ONeill chipped in with one on each stand, just to prove he still could! The photo above records Atiria do-ing her bit, while the whole family group (top) obviously enjoyed themselves.

HIGHWAY SHEARING UK LTDMark and Gillian Fox

Taw House, Eskdale, Holmbrook, Cumbria CA19 ITHENGLAND : TEL 0044 19467 23280

[email protected]

Your number one shearing shop in the UK for Heiniger shearing gear, jeans and moccasins.

Also Fagan shearing jeans, also a wide range of other clothing and accessories.

Shearers coming to the UK - have your new gear ready at your UK address when you arrive!!!

Contact us now for a competitive quote

Shearing 39

Shearing 40

promoting our industry, sport and people · shearing 1 free see inside for mailing rates vol 25, no...

Documents