Shearing competition dispute cools

Press, 9 August 1985, Page 12

Shearing competition dispute cools

A dispute between the Wool Board and the National Shearing Committee, which has threatened to disrupt the coming season’s shearing competitions, is likely to be solved within a few days. Mr Sandy Cassie, the board’s raw wools general manager, is hopeful that the

committee will reinstate a rule covering the shearing of belly wool in competitions.

Support for the reinstatement of the belly rule has been given by the South Island Shearing and Woolhandling Contest Co-ordinat-ing Society, and Mr Cassie said more than half the

shearing competitions in the North Island had expressed disapproval of the committee’s decision.

These included the organisers of the Caltex national circuit events at Masterton, Raglan and Pahiatua and the Golden Shears. Mr Cassie said it appeared that the committee’s decision to abandon the belly rule was not supported by the majority of competitions. Provided sufficient backing for its reinstatement was received, the

board would have to reconsider its decision to withdraw support from the competitions. The belly rule calls for penalty strokes to be awarded during shearing competitions if any belly or brisket wool, excluding side fringes, is left on the animmal after shearing the belly.

Mr Cassie said he did not want the dispute to be regarded as a Wool Board versus shearer or grower versus shearer matter. The committee’s decision

to abandon the belly rule was made in spite of the rule being a key factor in the board’s involvement in the competitions. Mr Donald Toshach, chairman of the South Island shearing society, said all competitions in the South Island had decided to apply the belly rule in spite of the national committee’s decision. Competitions were the show place of the industry and needed the board’s support, estimated at about $50,000 a year.