DEMONSTRATIONS BY SHEARER

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27051, 28 May 1953, Page 10

DEMONSTRATIONS BY SHEARER

MR GODFREY BOWEN AT ADDINGTON

The funds of the Canterbury International Air Race Council, ana a good number of Canterbury shearers benefited yesterday from the demonstrations given by Mr Godfrey Bowen, who recently established a world’s record of shearing 456 sheep in nine hours. There were good crowds at both the afternoon and evening demonstrations, which were arranged by the meat and wool section of the North Canterbury Federated Farmers. A special stand had been erected at the Show Grounds, against a typical New Zealand background of swaying football posts and flapping laundry. There were a few women and children among the spectators in the afternoon, but the crowd for the most part wore an outdoor look. Mr Bowen, wearing an athletic singlet bearing his name on the back, and “Tally, 456” on the front, entered the ground, like a boxer into the ring, to the accompaniment of generous applause. He also wore shearers’ moccasins, made of sacks, and the inevitable bowyangs. Mr Bowen’s deft handling of the sheep and the shears won the admiration of the spectators immediately, and he showed as much ability as a lecturer in his subject a s he did with his practical demonstration. He said that balance and timing of footwork were the main essentials—and it is not too extravagant to refer to him, after he had exhibited just these qualities, as the Moira Shearer of the New Zealand wool-sheds.

Broad and muscular, Mr Bowen demonstrated a greater variety of effective holds than the average professional wrestler, and the object of his attentions showed a docility which strengthened the analogy. The sheep reached him looking like so many short women wearing new fur coats; with the practised skill of an income tax assessor he removed from them every hint of affluence, all in about a minute.

Mr Bowen delighted his audience, first by demonstrating on a shorn sheep the exact blows he uses and then by shearing another sheep in the manner of the reputedly fast shearers he said were found in 95 per cent, of the sheds—with the shearer in a frenzy of activity, and wool flying about like driven snow. His own methods are obviously the result of long study of the possibilities of reducing the motions to a minimum. He barely moves, he has an easy grace w a j sw ; ee P‘ n g blow; his, left hand holding the sheep’s head upright, he looks for all the world like a concert violinist. What to the lay-, man seemed the ticklish business of shearing about the ears was accomplished with the unconscious grace of the professional barber. Mr Bowen also demonstrated the most effective methods of catching sheep and preparing them for the first blow of the shears, and he made one test against time. He set out to shear three sheep in four minutes. He completed the first in about 72 seconds, the second after 2min 25sec, and won further warm applause for getting through the third sheep, a pugnacious animai, to complete the three in 3min 40 2-ssec.

MR BOWEN’S REPLY TO CHALLENGE

Reference to Mr Bowen’s reply to the challenge of Mr A. Parkin, of Ashburton, was made by the champion shearer, Mr Godfrey Bowen, during his afternoon demonstration at the Show Grounds yesterday. Mr Bowen said that shearing three or rour sheep was no indication of world supremacy. If a sheep kicked, or anything alse went wrong of the many things which could go wrong, the other man could win. He had seen that the challenge specified four sheep— a Merino, a Corriedale, a Romney, and a full-wool halfbred. ‘ ‘ft sounds like liquorice allsorts.” Mr Bowen said. “I am sick of this fame and publicity. The answer is easy. There are 35,000,000 sheep in New Zealand. Find the sheep, the'shed and the shears, and 456 is the number I would like to be there if he beats Sswlr.” ha 6 his hand - Tha< U the