Thirty years into her wool-classing career Tina Elers is as busy as ever and very motivated.
When some might think it is time to slow down she’s working a seven-day week around Southland, weather permitting, and doing extra fitness work.
It’s all about the shearing world championships in France in July.
Elers and her team, including daughter Maiden, surprised everyone by finishing third in the teams’ event at the 2017 Golden Shears world championships in Invercargill, getting onto the podium to receive their medals.
For good measure Elers was third in the individual wool-classing section. She’s still thrilled about that.
“We just worked the hardest we could to do the best we could.”
Mataura-based Elers is a born and bred New Zealander but represented the Cook Islands in that tournament, qualifying through her Dad, Bill Elers, the biggest influence in her wool industry life. The same team will go to France – shearers Marley Waihape, her nephew, and Aaron Bell, and her daughter Maiden also doing wool handling.
They will take the same approach to France, though there are some differences in northern hemisphere wool handling.
“We’ll have a day’s training before the championships . . . it’s like the northern hemisphere people when they come here so it all evens out.”
Maiden will be in the team again though a young family takes up a lot of her time. Younger daughter Lucy is also going but not competing.
She is involved with her mother in judging wool competitions, with Elers getting her started through her role on the Gore Southern Shears.
For Elers the next few competitions are all action . . . notable events are the Southern Shears in Gore in mid February and the Golden Shears in Masterton in March.
A good confidence-booster was winning a New Zealand Wool Classers Association Merino commendation last year for her classing of a quarter-bred clip at Omakau in Central Otago.
She has contracted to individual farmers in the region for the last five shearing seasons, classing the world-class clips.
For most of the year Elers puts her Q-stencil and wool-classing qualifications to work in the crossbred sector, working for her parents who started in business more than 40 years ago.
Bill encouraged the shearing bug when she was a youngster and mum Gloria has made everything possible, looking after seven children and a lot of grandchildren over the years to allow the business to flourish.
With two or three teams on the go – a dozen shearers including husband Murray and 15 or so handlers and pressers – they do just over 30 farms across a wide area based on eastern Southland.
“We’re a small team and it’s a good-sized run.”
She’s serious about working seven days a week – they cover a wide area so if one area is wet there’s often some dry sheep somewhere else.
“Dad’s on the phone continually sorting that out.”
When the crossbred pre-lamb shear ends she heads to Central Otago in August with her Merino-classing stencil before heading back in October for the new crossbred season in Southland.
The high value of Merino wool means a big focus on preparation in the woolshed to make sure of getting the very best returns and she really enjoys that challenge.
Conversely, low crossbred wool prices led to her biggest frustration, that wool is not always prepared to the highest standards as some farmers look to cut costs.
“I understand the farmers’ point of view because it is disheartening with the wool price where it is. I advise the farmer, we work in with the wool broker and together we need to come to an understanding.”
Some wool ends up being put straight into the press without being skirted or thrown over the table for cleaning.
“Luckily, more farmers go for the quality product than those who don’t.”
Elers also has a classer’s stencil in Australia, secured in 2012, and has classed wool in Queensland and Victoria during an extended time there.
She nearly made the move permanent but opportunities started coming forward in NZ and woolshed contracts built up. The recent increase in wages made this country competitive.
“We’re on a par with Australia and I’m comfortable here and I’d rather be in NZ.”
When Bill is away Elers runs the family business, dealing with farmers, organising shearers and handlers and doing the book-work.
She enjoys it but there there’s not much chance of her dad stepping down soon.
“He’s just gone 70 and he still gets in and does some shearing if there’s a gap there.”
He used to take the family to the sheds during weekends and school holidays.
“By the third run he would persuade me to do the belly and crutch for him so he could put the portable up and by the end of the day I was doing the board at one end.”
At 15 she left school to work in the sheds full time. The Q stencil qualification came quite early then, as her daughters reached an age where they did not need her full attention, she did the papers to become a NZ registered classer.
“I broaden my knowledge when I can and I like to pass than knowledge on.”
Elers is qualified for industrial work, in an office or a wool store, but still prefers the woolshed, saying she’s still passionate and fit enough.
Besides, she can’t start taking it easy.
Apart from competitions to win, she’s got her dad to keep up with.
“So, I’ve got years to go but I’d like him to slow down a bit.”
