A farming lobby group in New Zealand argues that sheep shearing could potentially be featured as an Olympic demonstration sport and should be presented on a global platform.
Renowned for producing some of the finest shearers globally, New Zealand’s national championship, the Golden Shears, garners significant local media attention.
According to New Zealand Federated Farmers, the leading shearers in the world are “athletes who elevate the sport to a different level.”
With the world shearing championships set to take place in March in New Zealand, Federated Farmers Meat and Fibre chairwoman, Jeannette Maxwell, stated that this moment is ideal for the sport to seek increased international acknowledgment.
Maxwell highlighted that both Ivan Scott from Ireland and Kerri-Jo Te Huia from New Zealand, the world record holders for their respective genders, exemplify the athleticism required to excel in world shearing.
“Ivan reclaimed his world title for eight-hour solo lamb shearing by producing a remarkable 749 lambs—seven more than the former world record,” she noted.
“Kerri-Jo obliterated the women’s record for eight-hour solo lamb shearing by shearing 507 lambs, exceeding the previous record by 37.”
Maxwell mentioned that New Zealand’s government sports funding organization, Sparc, recognizes shearing as a legitimate sport, and Australia had previously advocated for its inclusion in the Commonwealth Games.
“In 2008, discussions took place proposed by Sports Shear Australia, but now is surely the time to elevate the sport of shearing to the highest world stage,” she expressed.
“One potential approach could be to feature shearing as a demonstration sport at the Commonwealth Games, and perhaps ultimately in the Olympics.”
by Buford Balony
