Mr Black has been a shearing trainer for more than 15 years. His partner, Tania Morrison, has two teenage boys boarding at Otago Boys’ High School and live with their father on a farm at Macraes Moonlight. It was through this connection that the boys and their friends raised the idea of doing a shearing workshop.
"Back in the day, it was a common thing that a farmer’s son would learn pretty early on how to shear a sheep and they would help out their dad and all their neighbours. With the way society has changed now it’s just not as common. Teens seem to have other interests, and I guess maybe the opportunities just aren’t there like they used to be.
"So when these teens said ‘we want to learn’, we all made it happen."
The workshop saw the group shear 200 hoggets over two-and-a-half days. The first morning they learned about the handpiece and how to set it up properly. “And then there’s a lot of stop and start, just learning one section of the sheep at a time. By the second day, they are into it and will do a full day on a stand in pairs. By the third day, we are finished, and they are pretty proficient at shearing.”The group of teens and their parents gathered for a barbecue on the second evening of the three-day workshop. “They were all keen and eager to learn, they were a great bunch to teach. And they really did rise to the challenge. It was cool to see the pride in both them and their parents’ faces,” he said.
"I teach all sorts, from trained shearers just wanting to hone their skill right through to absolute beginners. Beginners are a lot more challenging to teach as you are starting from scratch. But they are also the most rewarding, too, they are a blank slate and you can teach them all the good habits from the start.”
One of the teens at the workshop was Tom Dunn. Tom lives in Dunedin and attends Otago Boys’ as a day boy. He was keen to attend the workshop as he enjoys helping out on his friends’ parents farms. "It’s been good to learn how to set up a handpiece properly. I help with a bit of crutching in the summer and just having the confidence to get in there and set up a stand is going to be really useful," he said.
Mr Black said the future was bright for young people who choose shearing as a career.
"It’s not for everyone, but those that enjoy playing sport and a bit of rough and tumble usually go well as shearers. A handpiece is as good as a passport; there are so many opportunities all over the world for shearers and the money is exceptionally good,” he said.
