Wool it’s all go at champs

It was all hands on deck as the country’s wool industry elite — and some from across the Ditch — were put through their paces yesterday.

The 62nd New Zealand Merino Shearing and Woolhandling Championships started in Alexandra with a full day of woolhandling competition.

Woolhandlers ranging from novice through to experienced showed their skills on the boards, throwing, skirting and sorting fleeces under the watchful eye of judges, timekeepers and an enthusiastic audience.

Australia’s REDI-e First Nation indigenous team returned after a successful showing at last year’s event when they beat the New Zealand Merino Shears team to win the New Zealand title.

"They’re back for more," NZ Merino Shears president Lane McSkimming said.

More than 150 competitors across both shearing and woolhandling were taking part in this year’s competition, up from last year.

"The numbers are great, entries are up on last year and we had to sadly turn some competitors away today because we would have run out of sheep."

Running for more than six decades, Mr McSkimming said the secret of the Shears’ longevity was the appeal and the challenge of working with merino fibre.

"It’s the one and only true fine wool merino shearing and woolhandling championship in the world ... merino wool being the ultimate fibre of the world, the shearers and woolhandlers from throughout the country want to prove themselves on this type of wool."

He expected competitors would shear about 1000 merino sheep over the course of the two-day event.

The championships continue today with the open shearing heats and finals, and the New Zealand Merino Shears team versus the First Nation indigenous final and open woolhandling final tonight.