School's shearing and woolhandling contest attracts top talent

RNZ News

2 days ago

A bunch of Manawatu high school students have switched off their screens and turned on their shearing machines.
Feilding High School's hall became a woolshed this week as the school held its own version of the iconic Golden Shears shearing championships.
This year's interhouse shearing and woolhandling championships at Feilding had a professional atmosphere with commentary from Danniverke commentator Tuma Mullins.
About 700 students crammed into the hall to watch the finals, cheering on their friends who came through last week's preliminaries.
The competition featured six students in the shearing final, and six students in the woolhandling final.
Behind the scenes, these boys were in charge of the sheep pens on the school stage.
Photo:
Penny Miles
Many of the school's students are involved in agriculture and were able to safely and effectively handle the most unruly of sheep.
Coming from the hall's stage was the mechanical noise and hum of two electric shearing plants, donated by an old boy. Beyond that were pens of romney cross lambs bleating as they waited for their turn under the bright lights.
The youngest competitor, Mac Foreman from Pahiatua, was one of the first up. He's a boarder at the school living in a hostel there, and was happy to make his debut appearance in the final.
"This is my second year shearing this year. Just on the farm watching the shearers in the shed, and just how much money they make, made me motivated to start," Foreman said.
Feilding High School's Alex Wrenn in a moment of focus at the school's Shearing and Woolhandling Championships
Photo:
Penny Miles
He's learnt his skills in courses at school and also his Dad has passed on his knowledge from the farm.
"Once you've shorn a few you just get used to it," Foreman said.
One of the experienced shearers in the next pairing was 17-year-old Harry Dickson, who hails from from Apiti near the Ruahine range.
Some of the boys are already earning serious pocket money as they work during their school holidays. They come from rural locations in Wairarapa, Manawatu and the King Country.
This year's finalists were Alex Wrenn and Taumuranui's AJ Hall, battling it out on the boards.
Brute strength is required to drag the sheep out to the shearing stand.
Photo:
Penny Miles
Going blow for blow, the boys each shore three sheep, one more than in the preliminary rounds, watched on by the judges.
Hall, 17, is ready for a career on a sheep and beef farm as a shepherd. He achieved his best result of runner up.
And what's the secret to competition shearing?
"Just focus really, just focus on the sheep," Hall said.
His sheep were easy to handle until the final one was dragged through to the stand.
"The last one was a bit sticky and just a bit kicky and I cut it on the flank. I knew I was out."
Entry for the contest was by gold coin donation and there were no empty seats.
Photo:
Penny Miles
"It was a bit of a buzz in front of the school but you just had to stay calm," Wrenn said.
"After that first sheep I had a bit of catching up to do because I went to the pen at the same time as him. I knew I'd have to try and get a few time points up my sleeve."
Wrenn was judged the winner as the boys lined up on the stage for photos.
Judge Flash Duxfield from Woodville said he was looking for neat and tidy work against the clock with no cuts of nicks.
On the wool handling side was judge Gail Haitana from Bulls who watched over keenly as the six girls each worked to sort the wool.
In the final were Anna Harre and Aria Cameron.
Harre, 15, who comes from Taihape was the winner for the first time. She said the nerves were "scary".
"Maybe I'll do some more shows in the future, I love it," Anna Harre said.
Feilding High School has been a breeding ground for some of the country's top shearers. Black Ferns women's rugby player Sarah Hirini became a champion shearer at the school.
While the most high profile athletes with agriculture in their bones were the rugby playing Whitelock brothers, Sam, George and Luke.
Teaching agriculture to the students is teacher Kain Nixon.
"A lot of our older kids are here competing and they'll leave school at the end of the year," Nixon said.
"The quality is just getting better and better. This year we had two sheep for the semis and three for the finals which is a reflection of the calibre."
He loves what he's doing and says he won't be going anywhere soon. And luckily for him, his students are lining up for the shearing programme.
"Shearing is a craze at the moment, everyone wants a handpiece and to see if it's for them," he said.
He's encouraging the next group of students to "give it a go".
And recently Stratford High School in Taranaki added an agricultural course of its own, also giving students the change to get out of the classroom and get hands on with farming.
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