Shearing: Te Awamutu contestant Christine Wellington takes on world at Welsh competition

Waikato's Christine Wellington (right) competing in the ladies' shearing competition at The Royal Welsh Show.

• Te Awamutu’s Christine Wellington placed 12th in the ladies’ shearing competition at the Royal Welsh Show.
• Wellington works for Innovis Breeding Sheep Ltd, travelling between farms in Scotland, England and Wales.
• Fellow Kiwis Sonya Fagan and Sacha Bond also competed, with Fagan placing third and Bond sixth.

Waikato’s Christine Wellington recently placed 12th in the ladies’ shearing competition at the biggest agricultural show in Europe, The Royal Welsh Show.

Held annually in July at the 150-acre Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd, near Builth Wells, Wales, the four-day event attracts about 250,000 people.

After finishing her job with PGG Wrightson Te Awamutu earlier in the year to travel around Europe and the United Kingdom, Wellington now works for Innovis Breeding Sheep Ltd.

Innovis is a leading UK sheep breeding service, with sheep selectively bred for adaptability and sustainability.

Wellington travels and works between the Innovis farms in Scotland, England and Wales.

While working in Aberystwyth in Wales, Wellington had the chance to attend the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show.

She pre-entered in her first shearing competition which included some of the world’s best women shearers.

Competitors ventured from Australia, England, Scotland, Wales, France and New Zealand.

“In the build up to the show, local farmers Sarah and Bryn provided sheep for me to practice on,” Wellington said.

“It was great to finally compete in a show after thinking about it for a few years, I hope to compete in some New Zealand shows in the future. I was incredibly nervous, my hands were shaking.

“It was amazing to have so much support from the Innovis crew and Sarah and Bryn.”

Fellow Kiwis Sonya Fagan (third) and Sacha Bond (sixth) went on to compete in the ladies’ shearing final.

Australian Danielle Mauger took top honours.

Fagan, from Te Kūiti, won the intermediate wool handling final earlier in the week, while King Country’s Bond holds the nine-hour shearing world record of 720 strong wool lambs.

Under the current world record rules, Bond became the first woman to hold records for both ewe and lamb simultaneously.

Her ewe record was broken in recent weeks by veteran Scottish shearer Una Cameron.

Wellington thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to meet such skilled women shearers.

“There is a lot more for me to learn about show shearing to improve my score,” she said.

“I was happy with how it went, not knowing what to expect, though I would like to prove to myself that I can do better.”

When working in New Zealand, Wellington uses her after work hours to improve her skills by shearing sheep lifestyle and small blocks throughout the Waikato.

She uses a battery-operated hand piece.

Animal health is also within her expertise, including worm drenching, foot trimming, flystrike prevention, castration and facial eczema prevention.

Wellington plans to return later this year to catch up with her past clients and their woolly sheep.

Jesse Wood is a multimedia journalist based in Te Awamutu. He joined NZME in 2020.