Best shearers compete

Press, 9 January 1981, Page 10

Best shearers compete

Because the Peninsula show is on the Lion Brown All-Breeds shearing circuit, the best South Island shearers will be competing tomorrow. The circuit takes in shows in Canterbury and other South Island provinces. ' ’ ’ ■

Competitors have to shear in three crossbred sheep events, two finewoolled sheep events, and two lambs events. The winner is decided on an over-all points basis.. Last year’s winner, Colin King, of Rangiora, and the 1979 winner, Peter

Lyon, of Pleasant Point, will be amongst those competing tomorrow.

Local shearers testing their skills against the visitors will include John Mclntosh and Shane Miller (Le Bons Bay), Marty Craw (Okains Bay), Michael Williams and Evan Marshall (Little Akaloa).

Of special interest will be the veterans’ event for local shearers aged 40 or over. Some of the top Peninsula shearers from previous decades will be on the board showing they have not lost any of their old skill.

Amongst those who have entered are Don Patten (Little River), Owen Jenkins (Port Levy), - . Dale Marshall and Murray Craw (Little Akaloa), Jed Foley (Robinsons Bay) and Rex Craw (Duvauchelle). ■ The judges are George McCartney (Ashburton), Duncan- McKay (Pigeon Bay), Fred Ford (Leeston). Trevor Taeee (Kowhai Bush),. Eric Buxton (Russells Flat) and Don Toshach (Rangiora).

The shearers will compete on a three-stand, raised board shed which local enthusaists built several years ago.'

Shearing competitions, at the Duvauchelle show started off with a board built temporally against two stock trailers ' but such was the demand for entries in the competitions that the facilities were improved. .

One of the organisers, Tony Rhodes (Robinsons Bay), 5 said the interest 1 in the shearing at the Duvauchelle show had increased every year.

This was partly because of the support given to the All-Breeds competition by sponsors who encouraged the best, shearers to enter at the show, thus maintaining a very high standard of shearing. \