Morrell confirms return to Kiwi shearing team

MEDIA RELEASE

On behalf of Shearing Sports New Zealand

October 9, 2013

Morrell confirms return to Kiwi shearing team

Finewool shearing legend Dion Morrell has confirmed he will accept a place in the New Zealand shearing team for this summer’s Transtasman tests after a surprise but emotional comeback for second place at the New Zealand Merino championships.

Morrell won the place in the team with the first test just 3 weeks away by being the best New Zealander in the Alexandra final on Saturday, as West Australian shearer Damien Boyle won the title for a fourth year in a row.

Morrell wondered whether he was up to it, having at the age of 50 long-since given-up the toil of everyday shearing to concentrate on his shearing contracting business.

“I don’t think 2-3 days’ shearing a year makes a shearer,” he said. “I’m a contractor now, not a shearer.”

A member of the Merino championships organising committee, he’d given up regular competition shearing 10 years ago after he last represented New Zealand, and only entered his home event when he was worried several weeks ago about the number of entries.

“This is our local show and entries were looking a bit light,” he said. “Then things just took off. The entries were good.”

His major preparation was shearing about 25 sheep at controlled pace doing the woolhandling competition heats on Friday. After graduating through the shearing heats, quarterfinals and semi-finals the next day he found himself in the top 6 for the final, and in two minds about how to do it.

That’s when he thought of mate and fellow World shearing record holder Ricky Pivac, who died in a motorbike crash in Australia on September 10.

Despite having to travel almost the length of the country, Morrell attended the tangi near Kaitaia, and on Saturday thought to himself: “It’s his birthday tomorrow. What would Ricky do if he was in this position?”

With an early significant blemish, Morrell had to go for time, and even though he was first to finish the 12 sheep, more than a sheep ahead of the next-quickest, he was surprised to learn soon afterwards he’d done enough to get into the major money.

Morrell joins Golden Shears Open champion Rowland Smith and PGG Wrightson National series winner John Kirkpatrick, both of Hawke’s Bay, in the New Zealand team for tests at Warrnambool, Vic, on October 26 and at the Golden Shears in Masterton on March 1. There will also be woolhandling tests, with New Zealand represented by Keryn Herbert, of Te Awamutu, and Tia Potae, of Milton.

ENDS

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