Hear me out, in recent times the idea of a shearer has changed dramatically.
The old stereotype of wasters who drink away their wages and live with no goals or aspirations is fading away dramatically.
Welcome to the professional era.
In shearing’s history there has never been a better time to pick up a handpiece and travel the world.
Air travel is at its cheapest, pay rates have gone up 25%, the industry is short of skilled workers and crying out for new blood.
Imagine having a career where you can pick which country you want to work in, get fed, looked after by the locals, experience different cultures and at the end of the day you get a good pay cheque in hand.
There’s a vast range of countries with huge seasonal employment opportunities ranging from Australia, England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland to France, Spain, Germany, Norway, Italy and even America.
There are also places off the beaten track that have a lot of work, too, such as the Falkland Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, the Isle of Man, Shetland Islands and even Iceland.
Workers who want to stay home in New Zealand can usually find work all year round pretty easy. It’s great for families as you can make a meaningful career through staying in one area.
For example, the average open shearer will shear 40,000 sheep a year at $2.25 a sheep.
The top open shearers are cracking up to 60,000 sheep annually.
But it’s not all about shearers – let’s not forget about the wool handlers and pressers now making $20 to $35 an hour. Not a bad earner for the school holidays.
The best shearers in NZ will earn more than $100,000 a year and by the time they reach 25 could own their own home debt-free.
Sure, the idea of travelling to the other side of the world to live and work with a complete stranger can seem a bit daunting for some. But, I promise, it will become some of the greatest experiences of your life.
Blending into a new culture and seeing how another country leads its life is truly fascinating.
One day you could be eating pasta and speaking Italian, the next day you’re shearing on the side of a mountain in the highlands of Scotland.
Speaking to some of the older shearers, one of the most common regrets they have is never actually taking time out to see the rest of the country they were in. They would shear for the season and quickly leave to chase work at the next destination.
The modern generation is different.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit 21 countries because of the shearing seasons, at the tender age of 27. Yes, I’m still young. From doing the Olympic bobsleigh in Norway and walking the Colosseum in Rome to sailing on a yacht around Croatia – I have had the chance to experience the world on top of travelling through NZ, season by season.
Another great aspect of shearing is the worldwide competitions. They are phenomenal.
If you’re the kind of person who enjoys pushing the boundaries of perfection and honing your skill into an art then I highly recommend chasing the competitions. If you want adrenaline-packed action that makes you feel as if you have electricity in your bones then try speed shearing.
Both disciplines require dedication, training and also deliver a job satisfaction that you’ve probably never had before.
It’s easy to get started in the industry. The best way is to do a course with Elite Shearer Training or Mahi Toa. You can even get your foot in the door every school holidays or weekend by pressing, penning up or rousing.
Give your local contractor a bell and prove your worth by being loyal, punctual and hard working.
A great example of where to start is Peter Lyon Shearing in Alexandra. Peter and Elsie need more than 250 staff during their peak season. For $200 a week you can stay at the quarters, receive five meals a day (breakfast, smoko, lunch, smoko, dinner) plus get taken to and from work. It’s the ultimate place to get stuck in for a hard season and come out the other end with some coin in your back pocket.
One special area of shearing that I’ve been witness to but never tried are the world records.
Men and women train months on end. They train their bodies to reach their physical limits, often putting in more than six months of preparation for their big day.
The variables that go into a world record attempt are virtually endless – temperature on the day, too much or not enough rain during the season and, above all, having enough guts to start and willpower to try a world record. For example, there are only five men on earth who have shorn more than 700 ewes in nine hours. The nine-hour lamb record holder Ivan Scott put his body through hell to add one lamb to the previous record.
These two records are the holy grail and ultimate pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Ewes, nine hours: 731 Matt Smith, 721 Rod Sutton, 720 Darin Forde, 716 Dion Morell, 702 Sir David Fagan.
Lambs, nine hours: 867 Ivan Scott, 866 Dion King, 851 Justin Bell, 839 Rod Sutton, 831 Alan McDonald.
The total output for a day like this is equivalent to running two marathons back to back but as sub two-hour marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge says – anything is possible.
The greatest shearer on earth is Rowland Smith. Sure, he’s not the current world champion having been pipped by Richard Jones of Wales in France this year but his consistency of winning and fearless reputation make him one of the meanest competitors on the board.
Rowland’s specialty is leaving no stone unturned. His attention to detail and fine tuning allows him to peak not just in the sheds but at every single competition.
Athletes with natural talent will reach the top for a period of time. Athletes who forge their talent will also reach the top for a period of time.
But what happens when you combine the two?
You get the greatest sports people of all time who have found their calling in life – Richie McCaw, Sir David Fagan, Roger Federer.
Finally. the biggest thing this industry has taught me is the ability to adapt to any situation, the satisfaction of achieving goals and the drive to do more and be better than I was yesterday.
You thrash your body day in, day out, sometimes wondering when the pain will end.
Then you crack that first win or your personal best tally and the hunger for more gets stronger. There is something quite satisfying about going to bed completely buggered.
I’m proud to say I work with some of the toughest men and women in NZ.
I think most young kiwis dream of being an All Black. But we can’t all be one so why not do the next best thing and become a shearer.
