Shearing Competition At Show

Press, Volume C, Issue 29643, 13 October 1961, Page 17

Shearing Competition At Show

Shearing competitions are rapidly becoming part of the showground scene. Wool Board shearing instruction classes and Department of Agriculture woolhandling displays have opened up a new field of sport. At the show tomorrow there will be the association’s own classes for open and district shearers and, as a special feature, the Christchurch district finals in the national shearing and woolhandling competition will be decided. Eight Young Farmers’ Club teams which have each won a preliminary round will be competing. So far there is only one team entered in the open section of the final but there may be some post entries. The purpose of the competition, which is sponsored by

the Wool Board, is to improve the standard of shearing and wool handling from the time it leaves the shears until it is in the bale. Speed is only one thing the judges look for. Cuts must be avoided and the same area must not be cut over twice. From the handler’s point of view the fleece must be thrown cleanly and then carefully skirted and picked over so that when the bales are opened up in the store tor the buyer's inspection the wool is in the best possible state for marketing. The winning team at Leeston will go forward to the Canterbury finals and eventually eight competitors from both the North and South Islands will win a trip to the Sydney Sheep Show next year. This is being sponsored by the Wool Board.