Perth Royal Show: Bruce Rock world champion shearer Ethan Harder takes out open title

Bruce Rock top-gun shearer Ethan Harder was best on the boards at the Perth Royal Show’s shearing competition, taking out the open title in a sensational performance. His win came just six days after he realised a childhood dream by setting the pace and accomplishing a new world record — shearing 624 lambs in eight hours at a farm at Williams. It was the 24-year-old’s first world title and he backed that up with his first open clean-shears win at the show on Saturday, September 23. Harder, who first shore 100 lambs at the age of 7, has notched up 35 speed-shears open wins, but his ambition to add clean-shears to his repertoire had its beginning nine years ago. “It was awesome and such a good competition,” he said. “I was inspired by my family — my partner Regina Jones and our daughter Leilah, 3, and my parents Paul and Suzie who run Harder Shearing Contractors, where I work full-time.” “I contribute my suceess to surronding myself with good postive people.” Harder was up against last year’s open title winner Damien Boyle, of Broomehill, who at 47 years-of-age was pumped to win his 25th Perth Royal Show open title. “Ethan has the ability to be the best in Australia, if not the world — he has unbelievable natural ability,” Boyle said. Heiniger territory sales manager Todd Wegner said Harder could go all the way with his ability to shear clean and fast. Harder shore 10 full-wool adult Merinos in the fastest time of 16 minutes and 45 seconds and scored the lowest penalty point total to stamp his superior skills on the boards. Shearing announcer Kevin Gellatly said it was a new era at this year’s competition. “There were some brilliant young shearers and woolhandlers coming through,” he said. Inspired to put in their best efforts was Kaiden Cox, 17, of Kellerberrin, who took out the novice shearing title and Jessie Read, 17, of Lower Chittering, who was the novice wool handling champion. The more experienced competitors to return to the show and claim victory included Janelle Hautie, of York, who was best in the open final of wool handling while Gary Lamey won his first senior wool final. Moving up the ranks in shearing was Ngapine Ratima, of Burracoppin, who won the intermediate title and Murray Burt, of Calingiri, was best in the senior final. The shearing competition was endorsed by the Governor-General of Australia David Hurley, who took up a handpiece in front of an appreciative crowd that applauded his first go at wool harvesting. “I didn’t realise it was that hard to shear a sheep,” he said. The annual Perth Royal Show shearing competition was co-ordinated by the WA Competition Shearing Association, the Royal Agricultural Society of WA, Australian Wool Innovation, the WA Shearing Industry Association and the Sports Shear Association. There were 29 shearing competitors and 27 wool handlers and a big crowd of visitors to cheer and applaud their appreciation. PERTH ROYAL SHOW SHEARING AND WOOLHANDLING Novice Shearing 1st: Kaiden Cox 2nd: Bevan Norwood 3rd: Mitchel Baker 4th: Cody Walker 5th: Jake Luby 6th: Zarah Squiers Novice Wool 1st: Jessie Read 2nd: Zarah Squiers 3rd: Leah Taylor 4th: Danielle Iles Intermediate Shearing 1st: Ngapine Ratima 2nd: Ethan Gellatly 3rd: Joseph Brown 4th: George Burt 5th: Daineil McKenna 6th: Stacci Chisholm Senior Shearing 1st: Murray Burt 2nd: Kim Turvey 3rd: Shane Buscumb 4th: Kevin Dawson 5th: Paul Baker 6th: Trevor Gellatly Senior Wool 1st: Gary Lamey 2nd: Tira Ngaragoine 3rd: Tasmin Mackay 4th: Mikayla Reihana Open Shearing 1st: Ethan Harder 2nd: Luke Harding 3rd: Richard Sturis 4th: Damien Boyle 5th: Mark Buscumb 6th: James Kirkpatrick Open Wool 1st: Janelle Hauti 2nd: Jess Harding 3rh: Sarah Buscumb 4th: Rajean Patoe