Passion for shearing pays dividends

• Published date: 15 April 2024
• Publication title: Bush Telegraph

And he’s been a member ever since

It’s an involvement that has led him pretty much around the world, from judging world championships in the UK, to being vice chairman (southern hemisphere) of the Golden Shears World Council.

Phil’s time in shearing started with a provincial course in 1968, run by Federated Farmers, receiving a certificate from the New Zealand Wool Board.

In 1972, Phil shore the first Pahīatua Shears, which was held out at the golf course, and helped build a stand the following summer.

The stand was installed in February the next year, but that year it rained and they never got the chance to use the stand.

Phil enjoys shearing and says it’s very satisfying to shear cleanly.

But while he did quite a bit of open shearing for farmers and had his own sheep on the farm, he says he didn’t really do it enough to get really good or fast.

He participated in competitions for a few years but it was through his involvement in the Pahīatua Shears committee that he got into judging.

When he joined the Golden Shears committee in 2003 he took on various roles until they asked him to be the chief referee. He also served as president for five years.

“I’m still very involved with Golden Shears. Shearing takes up a lot of my time.”

Phil says it’s all voluntary.

“It’s a passion.”

He says there are a lot of old judges around and they’re trying to recruit new ones all the time.

“You’ve got to be passionate. Don’t say no if you get asked. Make the most of the opportunities and that’s really what a lot of it’s about.”

Phil has been bestowed life membership of Shearing Sports New Zealand which he says he is “quite chuffed” about, for services to shearing sports.

He believes that...