Super-shearer Mullooly has shot at semis in close race

Catherine Mullooly from Matawai set a new women’s world shearing record last month and is in with a chance of becoming the first woman to make the semi-finals of the PGG Wrightson national shearing circuit. File picture

by Doug Laing

Matawai shearer Catherine Mullooly is one of 27 shearers in with a mathematical chance of making the semifinals of the PGG Wrightson Vetmed national shearing circuit.

A close race has developed for the top 12 semifinal places in the series.

Catherine did not compete in a couple of competitions in Waimate and Christchurch, as she prepared for her January 10 assault on the world solo women’s eight-hour strong wool ewes record.

In that effort she cut the wool off 465 sheep to break the previous record set just three days earlier, by 79 sheep.

She said afterwards she planned to contest the last two rounds of the circuit to see how high up the list she could get.

No female shearer has ever qualified for the final stages.

To put Catherine’s achievement into perspective, the circuit has been contested annually as New Zealand’s premier all-wools event since it was introduced in 1972-1973 as the McSkimming Memorial Triple Crown.

The winner has automatic selection into the New Zealand transtasman series team.

Catherine will take part in shearing competitions in Marton and then Pahiatua this month in her quest to make the semifinals.