SHEARING CONTEST

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29051, 13 November 1959, Page 11

SHEARING CONTEST

Championships Decided The shearing contests were well attended and there were "never fewer than 200 persons in the selling ring from the time the championships began at 10 o’clock until after the end of the South Island finals of the Young Farmers’ Clubs shearing and public speaking contest. For this event the building was crowded to the doors. With the interest that was shown in the shearing it seemed a pity that it will not be continued today. This was commented on by several persons. Officials said that the competitors had not wanted the contests to extend over two days and there were problems involved in the provision of sheep for more than one day. Some form of commentary would have been welcome during the blade and machine shearing championships and it was unfortunate that during the Young Farmers’ Club final the public address system failed. The setting of the selling ring for the shearing was ideal with comfortable theatre seating for the public ensuring a good view. If there had been some commentary on the technique of shearing, the system of judging and the break down of the scoring and the operation of the wool table nearby, there would have been some real educational merit in the day’s activity. As the shearing was carried out on the traditional farmers’ day it would have been an excellent opportunity for either the Wool Board or the Department of Agriculture to have provided something along these lines. The large attendance of the public showed the considerable interest that there is in the shearing and with some commerttary and a demonstration the shearing section could become one of the features of the show.

The Canterbury machine shearing championship was won by D. Bishell (Hawarden) with 93 points out of a possible 100. There were 22 competitors. The event was interesting to follow and some close finishes were seen. Shearing was of a good standard and only a few shearers cut their sheep. The judges for this event were Messrs J. U. McCracken (Rangiora) and T. H. Rutherford (Waikari). Blade shearing was also of a good standard and the sponsorship of an annual event would be well worth while. The art is now practically confined to the high country of the South Island. The New Zealand blade shearing championship event was won by M. Shaw' of Cheviot, who sheared against 10 others. The judges were Messrs H. M. Carr (Waikari) and Duncan Ensor (Double Hill).. A free holiday in Honolulu was won by J. Patterson (Hokonui) in the South Island finals of the Wool Board-sponsored shearing and public-speaking qpntest.which was the climax of a series of competitions held in«department stores throughout New Zealand. Patterson scored 45 points ; for shearing and 36 points for speaking, the second placing went to P. Irwood (Temuka) with 44 points and 34 points and N. Sadler of Nelson Creek was third with 46 and 31, The shearing was judged by the board’s chief instructor, Mr Godfrey Bowen, and the speaking by Mr Bowen and Mr Bruce Petrie, the board’s publicity officer.

The three men each had to speak for two minutes on the Si-Ro-Set process and the airline which would be used for the trip.