The 53-year-old has been a wool-classer for more than 30 years, despite growing up as a "townie" in Dunedin.
Mrs Newton is one of the industry's personalities, and she has been studying massage therapy to help relieve stresses and strains among those working in shearing sheds.
Wool-handling and shearing was very physical work, and those involved needed to look after themselves and be on their game, she said.
It was also not a nine-to-five job, and often those doing it did not have access to massage therapy.
"If you give a shearer a relaxing massage . . . they might be able to reach a few more inches, which means they don't have to do so many blows," Mrs Newton said.
She believed good classers needed a passion for the product, the people and the industry.
While she could not improve the fibre a property produced, she could present it in the "best possible way" to maximise the return to the grower.
Mrs Newton said she had seen many changes over the years.
Among them was the increased professionalism of the people doing the job in the shed, and the availability information from end users.
"We know where the wool's going to be aimed for . . . so we can prepare it accordingly," she said.
At the merino excellence awards, Mrs Newton accepted several awards on behalf of Stonehenge.
She has been involved with the Hore family at Patearoa for more than 20 years.