Lawrence Gullery/Stuff
Judges stand back to watch the wool handler competitors including Anita Phillips from Taumarunui, assisted by shearer Sam Brooks, in one of the Open Wool Handling heats at the New Zealand Shearing Championships in Te Kuiti.
Chelsea Collier s arms move in and around the sheep with robotic precision. Her hands work at high speed to delicately pick out the best quality wool, separating it from the dirty wool, as the shearer works his way around the animal on stage at the Les Munro Centre in Te Kuiti. Collier was among the men and women competing in the Open Wool Handling event at this year s New Zealand Shearing Championships in the King Country.
“Everybody’s going to be on their A game.” Samuels will compete in the open section with fellow Southlanders Brett Roberts, Ringakaha Paewai and Nathan Stratford. The quartet would be in a group of at least 10 Southland shearers and wool handlers at the championships. Raised in south Waikato, Samuels moved to Invercargill 23 years ago. “I grew up in the wool shed, and I’m still in the wool shed,” he said. “I try to shear as much as I can . I follow the sheep everywhere.” Samuels has competed throughout the country this season winning four competitions, including the Otago Shears at Balclutha and Gore Southern Shears.