Shearing Competitions Popular Attraction

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29956, 18 October 1962, Page 22

Shearing Competitions Popular Attraction

In 1959 Rangiora was one bf the first shows to introduce shearing competitions into its programmes. Now extended to include wood-handling as well, the competition is one of the meet popular attractions at the show, providing many city residents, especially children, with their chance to see sheep being shorn for the first time.

The competition is divided into two classes—one tor members of Young Farmers’ Clubs and the other an open class—with two teams from each class going forward to a Canterbury final. The winners of the Canterbury event will then participate in the New Zealand final for which the prize, provided by the New Zealand Wool Board, is a trip to Australia. The successful teams in the open section at Rangiora will go forward without change. In the Y.F.C. section, however, the best eight individuals from the various club teams will be combined into two composite teams to represent the district.

Appointed by the central organising committee for Canterbury, the judges will give consideration to shearing. board work, and table work. The two shearers in each team will shear five sheep. The man on the board will demonstrate his skill in gathering the fleece and placing it on the table ready for the classer to skirt.

The board work entails, also sweeping the floor to dear off any second cuts or foreign matter which might detract from the value of the fleece, if picked up with it.

The classer will then skirt the fleece, removing any rough or blemished pieces, including brand marks, doing bis work with a minimum disturbance of the fleece, Which will be rolled ready tor baling. The judge will then inspect the finished work.

The competition is designed to emphasise quality rather than speed, although both factors will be taken into account in the judging. Even so, a smooth working team

can complete the whole operation—shearing 10 sheep and handling the wool in 10 to 12 minutes.

The detailed organisation of the shearing events has been done each year by a sub-committee of Y.F.C. members, who have erected the shed and staging tor the events on a number of accasions. This work will be simplified now that the Northern A. & P. Association has erected a permanent shed. While prefabricated staging and pens will be supplied by the central committee for the Canterbury area, so that the facilities will be standardised tor each district contest.

Recently there were suggestions to hold a mannequin parade in conjunction with the shearing and woolhandling. with members of the Glenmark Country Girls’ Club modelling fashion* of woollen materials. It war not possible to complete arrangements, however, and the possibility of this project has had to be deferred for future consideration.