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Photo: RNZ \/ Charlotte Cook\n<\/p>\n
New Zealand is world famous for its sheep, and it seems as though those sheep might be the secret to its shearing success.<\/p>\n
The Golden Shears and the World Shearing Championships are running in parallel in Masterton this week with more than 400 competitors from 24 countries looking for a win.<\/p>\n
Wales are the current world teams champions, but Scotland and the Kiwis are rumoured to be amongst the top picks.<\/p>\n
But it all comes down to the sheep.<\/p>\n
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Photo: RNZ \/ Charlotte Cook\n<\/p>\n
Organisers ship sheep from around the country of all different breeds to try and even the playing field because for the likes of Mongolia – who are competing for the first time and Japan who raise barn sheep – the wool is very different to work with.<\/p>\n
Shun Oishi, a blade shearer from Japan, said it’s very tough.<\/p>\n
“We don’t have those kind of sheep in Japan … half of the year sheep are inside in Japan because of the winter, and the paddock is not that great, so they tend to be staying in the shed a long time.”<\/p>\n
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\nShun Oishi from Japan.
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Charlotte Cook\n<\/p>\n
Compared to New Zealand’s outdoor sheep, that makes it more difficult for blade and mechanical shearers.<\/p>\n
“It’s good stock for farming, but not for shearing”, according to Oishi.<\/p>\n
One machine shearer Gota Tateishi, was in tears after the whole crowd erupted when he finally finished his heat.<\/p>\n
Oishi said he was overwhelmed by the support but said he had really struggled due to the lack of experience with New Zealand wool.<\/p>\n
Wool handler Hannah Moore has been here for three months just to get used to the different processes.<\/p>\n
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\nHannah Bowen from Isle of Man.
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Charlotte Cook\n<\/p>\n
But she’s already made history just by being here. This is the first time someone has represented the Isle of Man in wool handling.<\/p>\n
“It’s very, very surreal. It’s almost like a pinch me moment.”<\/p>\n
She’s glad to have spent some time adjusting to the wool because it’s been a steep learning curve.<\/p>\n
“It’s completely different,” she said.<\/p>\n
Someone not fazed by the difference is the South African Manager Izak Klopper. He’s determined to hold onto his champion Boniel Rabela.<\/p>\n
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\nIzak Klopper.
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Charlotte Cook\n<\/p>\n
Rabela won the blade shearing world championship in 2023 and is looking like a shoe-in for the final.<\/p>\n
“We’ve got to be quick because the Kiwis don’t wait. You got to run with the pack.”<\/p>\n
But they are more skilled than most when it comes to using the old method.<\/p>\n
Out of more than 20 million sheep in South Africa, 17 million are still clipped with blades.<\/p>\n
“It’s for far off remote areas where there’s no electricity yet and leaves a little bit of wool on for the cold winter conditions,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It’s also a cheaper option than machine shearing.”<\/p>\n
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Photo: RNZ \/ Charlotte Cook\n<\/p>\n
He’s selected a team of the best from nine provincial shearing competitions before heading to the national championship, and then the works begin to prepare for New Zealand.<\/p>\n
He’s hoping that pays off.<\/p>\n
“Now we’ll have to work our way towards the top six.<\/p>\n
“Because you cannot win the championships from the seats, from the cheap seats”.<\/p>\n
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\nYuki Yamomoto.
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Charlotte Cook\n<\/p>\n
On Friday night, the world championship medals will be awarded in the teams events in the machine shearing, woolhandling and blade shearing.<\/p>\n
In the blade shears, New Zealand’s Alan Oldfield and Tony Dobbs are contesting the final.<\/p>\n
In the machine shearing, Toa Henderson and Rolland Smith are up for the titles.<\/p>\n
And in the woolhandling, there is Joel Henare and Marika Braddock.<\/p>\n