The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Swiss woolhandlers thin on the ground in Alexandra

Otago Daily Times
20 Nov, 2018 09:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Hoping to represent Switzerland in the woolhandling section of next year's World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Le Dorat, France, in July, are (from left) Charis Morrell (13) and her mum Gabriela Schmidt-Morrell. Jelena Morrell (9) is part of their support crew and is also learning woolhandling. Photo: Yvonne O'Hara

Hoping to represent Switzerland in the woolhandling section of next year's World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Le Dorat, France, in July, are (from left) Charis Morrell (13) and her mum Gabriela Schmidt-Morrell. Jelena Morrell (9) is part of their support crew and is also learning woolhandling. Photo: Yvonne O'Hara

Alexandra's Gabriela Schmidt-Morrell is looking for a woolhandler from Switzerland to join the team representing that country in next year's world shearing championships in France.

The only problem is woolhandling does not exist as a job in Switzerland.

She is hoping to find someone who is a Swiss citizen (but does not necessarily need to be working in New Zealand) and has good woolhandling skills, to be part of the team at the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Le Dorat, France in July.

Mrs Schmidt-Morrell was originally from Switzerland and is married to shearing contractor Dion Morrell.

They run their contracting business in Alexandra and she looks after the administration.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

They have two daughters, Charis and Jelena, and son Ursin (17).

Mrs Schmidt-Morrell and Charis represented Switzerland in the woolhandling event when the world championships were held in Invercargill in 2017.

At the time, Charis was too short to throw the fleece on to the table properly.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

''It was really cool, very exciting,'' Charis said.

They finished about halfway up the rankings, which they were happy with.

''It was the first time the Swiss had entered a team,'' Mrs Schmidt-Morrell said.

''We thought we should keep it going and have a team in France.''

Discover more

Waitahuna's top dog triallist to pass on tips

06 Nov 05:00 PM

Luxury cashmere produced here in South Otago

11 Nov 09:00 PM

Wool cells used for new material at Lincoln Agritech

11 Nov 11:00 PM

'Bump in road' to overcome for WoolOn Creative Fashion

14 Nov 02:00 AM

Stepdaughter Pagan Karauria, a top national master woolhandler, had taught them what they needed to know and they practised a lot.

They have two shearers coming from Switzerland to work for them and who will be part of the team.

Mrs Schmidt-Morrell said as she was so busy with the business and as the practise would take a lot of time, she would prefer to have another woolhandler in the team, while she became team manager.

The problem is finding someone qualified to fill the role.

They are also looking for sponsorship and although Heiniger provided the tools for the shearers last time, the team had to fund their travel and other costs themselves.

They are expecting to do the same again next year, although they will add on a holiday to Switzerland to see family.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Morrell had been an enthusiastic supporter and provided help for the team. Charis said her dad painted some wool brooms red and added a white tape cross to represent the Swiss flag, for them to use.

''After we used them we had red paint on our hands,'' she said.

They have until March to establish names and numbers.

Mrs Schmidt-Morrell said as most mobs of Swiss sheep were small - about 20 or so - it was uneconomic to handle the wool.

Shearing was a service, and the fleeces were usually thrown into one bag, ungraded or classed.

''In Switzerland, farmers pay to get rid of it or they use it for home or throw it away.''

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

If anyone knows of anyone suitable, Mrs Schmidt-Morrell can be contacted on 027210-6459.

Southern Rural Life

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

3 Places to craft your very own gin in New Zealand

05 Jul 07:00 PM
Opinion

Opinion: Are we there yet? The evolution of the great Kiwi Road Trip

05 Jul 05:00 PM
The Country

Worm woes: Tackling sheep parasites in the 1890s

05 Jul 05:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

3 Places to craft your very own gin in New Zealand

3 Places to craft your very own gin in New Zealand

05 Jul 07:00 PM

NZ has around 150 small-batch gin distilleries. Make your own at these 3 spots.

Opinion: Are we there yet? The evolution of the great Kiwi Road Trip

Opinion: Are we there yet? The evolution of the great Kiwi Road Trip

05 Jul 05:00 PM
Worm woes: Tackling sheep parasites in the 1890s

Worm woes: Tackling sheep parasites in the 1890s

05 Jul 05:00 PM
Vege tips: Why you should keep a gardening diary

Vege tips: Why you should keep a gardening diary

05 Jul 05:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP