WA competition shearing team to take on the best

Members of the State shearing and woolhandling team have been revealed at the annual WA Competition Shearing Association awards evening. It comes in the lead up to the Sports Shear Australia National Shearing Competition to be held at Katanning from October 25 to 27. The awards event was held on June 22 and brought a record crowd of 80 to the Windsor Motel in South Perth. The event recognised the show circuit shearers and woolhandlers that gained the most points throughout the 2023-24 competitive season. WACSA chairman Luke Harding, who gained the most points in WA’s open shearing competitions and also qualified as an open shearer for the WA team, said the nationals’ event would bring the best competition from the country’s top-gun wool harvesting competitors. “It will be a showstopper,” he said. Mr Harding said it was his second most-points winning title for the WA circuit. As head of the WACSA, he said there had been increased numbers of novice shearers and woolhandlers at WA competitions — “a sign of a healthy industry”. The WA novice team members announced included WA College of Agriculture — Cunderdin students Zarah Squiers, 18, and Cooper McCuish, 17, (shearing) and WA College of Agriculture — Denmark Darcy King, 17, and Santa Maria College student Bella Goss, 16 (woolhandling). Also making the open shearing team was Broomehill shearer Damien Boyle and Quindanning shearing contractor Mark Buscumb, who both have been leaders in the wool harvesting industry. The open woolhandling team members will include Kelly Moir, who was the WA 2023-24 circuit winner, along with Lee Gray (second place) and Jess Harding (third) — all highly respected for their dedication and high standards. The nationals team manager Wayne Laird said he expected WA to be highly competitive at Katanning. Full report in next week’s Countryman.