Shearing stalwart Hugh McCarroll awarded MNZM

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On behalf of Shearing Sports New Zealand
June 3, 2013

Shearing stalwart Hugh McCarroll awarded MNZM

Shearing Sports New Zealand congratulates life member Hugh McCarroll on being made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours announced today (June 3).

Mr McCarroll, 72, who has lived in Tauranga most of his life but now lives at Whangamata, is at least the 10th person commended in Queen’s Birthday or New Zealand honours lists over the years for services to shearing, dating back to the MBE bestowed in 1960 on the now-late Godfrey Bowen. The honour also recognises service to other aspects of agriculture, which has included pedigree sheep breeding and kiwifruit orcharding.

A competitor from the very earliest days of the Golden Shears, he won the premier event’s Intermediate final in 1967, and the Veteran’s over-65 event at the 50th anniversary Shears in 2010, and it was back on the same stage in 2012 that he was presented his Shearing Sports New Zealand life membership badge by outgoing and long-serving chairman John Fagan, MBE.

Over more than half-a-century, Hugh McCarroll has served in almost every imaginable role in Shearing sports, ably supported by wife Biddy with whom he celebrated 50 years of marriage in April.

He stepped straight from being an Open-class competitor to competition judging in 1978, and in 34 seasons has officiated in almost every competition in New Zealand at some stage, as well as judging in the United Kingdom.

He was shearing steward at his home Tauranga A and P Show from 1984 to 2008, and became delegate to the national shearing committee in 1988, seeing the organisation through reconstitution as Shearing Sports New Zealand in 1992.

Serving the organisation ever since, he was North Island chairman from 1995 to 2010, the delegate to the Golden Shears World Council in Masterton in 1996, Ireland 1998, Australia 2005, Norway 2008 and Wales 2010, and chaired a World Council sub-committee upgrading new World Championships rules and regulations.

He has managed several New Zealand teams, including the World Championships in Ireland in 1998 and in Masterton this year.

He was also a founding member of the World Sheep Shearing Records Society in 1995, has attended almost every record attempt since that time, often as a judge, and has been the organisation’s secretary since 2006, ensuring the upkeep of an accurate register of records and the standards which must be attained.

He is currently Shearing Sports New Zealand’s executive officer liaising with Sport New Zealand (formerly SPARC) and Drug Free Sport New Zealand (formerly NZ Sports Drug Agency), and also the SSNZ website.

Other commendations in shearing include receiving the in 1995 the Lance Waddell Shield for service to shearing, and service to asgriuclture on the wider scale has been recognised with life membership of the Tauranga A and P Society, he and Biddy were in 1984 recognised by the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand, in 1984 as recipients of the A C Cameron Award for Excellence in Farming and Community Affairs, and in 2007 with Mr McCarroll was again commended by the RAS with its Medal for Excellence in Agriculture.

Service in other aspects og agriculture included numerous positions in the Young Farmers Club movement, 12 years as a New Zealand Coopworth Sheep Society councillor, being a director New Zealand first sheep sire referencing scheme, membership of Federated Farmers’ Tauranga branch since 1973 (including three years as secretary), and chairing the Tauranga boys and girls high schools’ agriculture club for three years.

Outside of the sector he was a member of Greerton Lions Club for 26 years, including two terms as president, becoming a life member of the Lloyd Morgan Lions Club Charitable Trust, and a Melvin Jones Fellow in 2011. He was a member of the Oropi Settlers Hall Committee for 24 years, including five as chairman, and service to schools included being secretary of the Oropi School and District 75th reunion committee in 1974 and the school’s centennial committee in 1999. He has also been a member of the Tauranga Sports Rugby Club for 55 years, starting as a player in 1957, and is a proud founding member of the Bay of Plenty Steamers Blue and Gold Supporters Club..

Hugh and Biddy hosted international farm stay guests at their Pyes Pa property from 1983 to 2003, having previously established the 9-hole Ngawaro golf course on their farm.

Those recognised in Queen’s Birthday or New Year honours for services to shearing include shearers Godfrey Bowen (MBE 1960), Brian ‘Snow’ Quinn (MBE 1981), John Fagan (MBE 1992), David Fagan (MNZM 1999, ONZM 2007), Colin King (MNZM 2000) and Ivan Bowen (MNZM 2007), Golden Shears officials Bob Chamberlain (MBE 1965), Colin Gilmour-Wilson (QSO 1995) and Laurie Keats (MNZM 2009), and shearer and official Hugh McCarroll (MNZM 2013).

ENDS

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