‘Feeling pretty good’ before test

A transtasman shearing test is being held on the 60th anniversary of the Southern Shears in Gore on Saturday. Shawn McAvinue talks to East Otago shearer Chris Vickers about his team’s preparations to avenge their defeat in Australia last season.

Q. The New Zealand shearing team set to compete in Gore is you, David Buick, of Pongaroa in the Tararua district, and Angus Moore, of Seddon in Marlborough. Have you competed together before?

Yeah, we were the New Zealand team defeated in the transtasman test in Jamestown, South Australia last season.

Q. How many times have you represented New Zealand in a transtasman test before?

Twice. Last season and the 2012-13 season. We beat the Aussies in the 2012-13 season at the Golden Shears in Masterton. The Aussies are now on a five-show winning streak over the Kiwis. The Aussies are doing pretty well against us at the moment.

Q. How are you feeling in the lead-up to the test?

I’m feeling pretty good, just going to work and doing my job [at Phil Cleland Shearing]. I don’t like to over-think things too much, otherwise you get yourself nervous. I just get there on the day and just do it.

Q. What sort of sheep will you be shearing at the test in Gore?

We’ll do six merino wethers from Otematata Station, where I’ve shorn a lot. I’ve probably done 24 pre-lamb shears at that shed, so I know those sheep a little bit, and then we’ll have six big full-wool Romneys.

Q. The Aussie shearers are Sam Bacon, Sam Byers and Daniel McIntyre. Have you ever been up against them before?

I’ve been up against Daniel McIntyre a few times. He’s a nine-time Aussie champion. He was in the Aussie team when I shore against them at the Golden Shears in 2013.

Q. A transtasman test in New Zealand is usually held at the Golden Shears. It has been moved to the Southern Shears to avoid a clash with the world championships in Masterton this year. Are you hoping for a big crowd in Gore?

Oh yes, there’ll be a big crowd there. It’ll be quite good and my family will be able to come down.

Q. Does a big crowd help motivate you?

Yes and no. I try and ignore the crowd a bit and just do my own thing and try not to get too hyped up in the situation, just concentrating on what you’ve got to do.

Q. How old are you?

I’m 57. I’m probably the old fella in the shows now.

Q. How’s the body holding together?

Oh, it’s holding in. I’ve got a bit of tape on it to keep it together.

Q. How many years have you been shearing?

Full time since about ’88, about 37 years.

Q. What keeps you competing?

It’s just the competitive spirit of the shearing and catching up with people. I enjoy catching up with mates. When I first started, I treated the shows as a shearing school. I didn’t care where I placed in the show, as long as I learnt one thing from the day. Then after a dozen shows, that’s a dozen things you can take back to the shed and practise and that way you’re slowly getting better. Whether it’s learning something about footwork, your gear, something mental, just lots of little things and they all help.

Q. Have you still got anything to learn?

If you’re not learning in this game, you might as well give up. To me that’s the challenge. I’m always learning something. I learnt something two weeks ago. Someone was talking and I went, ah, something clicked into place, and I’ve been trying it, and it’s been working. You’re always picking something up.

Q. The weather has been more settled in the South and I imagine you’ll be pretty busy shearing in the lead-up to the competition. Is that a good thing?

That’s good. It keeps you shearing fit.

Q. What about tapering on the amount of sheep you are shearing so you are fresh for the competition?

Yeah, but we’ve got a bit of pressure on us to try and keep sheep shorn at the moment, especially in the East Otago area. We’ve had a very good season, so farmers are hanging on to their lambs, and they want them shorn. It’s just business as usual.

Q. How old were you when you started shearing?

I probably shore my first full sheep when I was about 16. Dad was a shearer. He shore to supplement his own income on the farm and he shore his own sheep, so I just started from there and then I started doing a bit with a couple of crews around Palmerston and then one day I shore 200, and Dad said to me, ‘you did that too bloody easy — you’re going to your uncle’s in Western Australia’ and sent me over there in 1989 to go learn merinos. I did 69 merinos on my first day. I was lost. Yeah, they were different.

Q. How far has your job taken you?

I’ve done three trips to America, two to Italy, Sardinia, Spain, seven or eight to the UK and probably 15 times to Aussie and all around New Zealand, so I’ve done a bit of travelling.