Shearer Brya Harrison-Kyle with husband Chris Kyle and daughter Lucie at the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Invercargill yesterday. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery
Shearer Brya Harrison-Kyle with husband Chris Kyle and daughter Lucie at the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Invercargill yesterday. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery
Blame it all on flystrike. Brya Harrison-Kyle's introduction to shearing might not have been glamorous, but it led to her forging a career in the industry.
From the Bay of Islands, Mrs Harrison-Kyle (30) was competing in the Southland All Nations machine shearing heats at the World Shearing and WoolhandlingChampionships in Invercargill yesterday.
She is now in her fifth season shearing and her first season back since the birth of daughter Lucie 15 months ago, having had a break of 18 months.
She first picked up a handpiece after her father had a logging accident which put him off work for two weeks. Several of his sheep got flystrike and the shearers were too busy to tend to them.
Mrs Harrison-Kyle decided to deal with it herself. Despite having no idea how to shear, she took the handpiece to her bedridden father who set it up for her.
All she knew was that she had to hold it against the skin. While able to shear the patch of flystrike-affected wool, she did not know how to shear the whole animal.
As an only child, she decided she better ''take some responsibility'' and learn how to shear properly. And so she did, later moving into competitions.
Heavily into cross-country running and athletics at school, she had always loved competing.
''I just love pushing my body, beating the clock as well,'' she said.
Brya Harrison-Kyle competing in the Southland All Nations machine shearing heats. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery
Going back to work after Lucie's birth proved difficult - ''my tallies went right back to when I was a novice'' - but it slowly improved.
Mrs Harrison-Kyle was thrilled to see an increase in the number of female shearers over the past couple of years.
While not necessarily encouraging them to take up shearing, she encouraged young women not to let their gender hold them back.
''Anything in the world, just go for it and give it a go. You never know what doors will open.''
She had shorn in England, Ireland and Scotland and seen ''beautiful places'', including some tourists would not usually visit. She had also shorn some ''amazing'' breeds of sheep, including miniature sheep.
Mrs Harrison-Kyle was supported in Invercargill by her husband Chris Kyle, who used to shear around the world, and now worked for Silver Fern Farms, and her daughter.
The toddler was a big driver in what she did.
''I love to make Lucie proud,'' she said.
Before Lucie's arrival, she had been training for a world record attempt as no ewe record had ever been set by a woman. Unfortunately, the sheep earmarked for the attempt proved unsuitable.
All Nations Open machine shearing heats, All Nations Open woolhandling heats, All Nations Intermediate machine shearing semifinals, All Nations Senior machine shearing semifinals, All Nations Senior woolhandling semifinals, All Nations Open woolhandling semifinals, All Nations Blade shearing semifinals, World Championships machine shearing heats (Round 1, lambs).
