Very Happy Shearer, Angus Moore

BARBARA STUART

Angus Moore from Ward has once again won the PGG Wrightson VetMed competition, also coming second in the Golden Shears Open Event held the first Saturday in March.

Alongside Angus and sharing the caring for their six children, his wife and business partner, Ratapu, came 5^th in the Wool handling.

Angus says, “I’m a very happy chap at the moment and very proud of my wife too.”

Winning the PGG Wrightson Vet-Med event twice before, Angus explains, “it’s a multi sheep shearing event covering all the wool types in the country.”  

The event kicked off in Alexandra in October with fine wool section each shearer competing for points over five rounds.  

It then moved to full wool hoggets at Waimate, followed by round three hosted by the NZ Agricultural Show in Christchurch in November shearing Corriedales

The final rounds were held at Marton with lambs at Waitangi weekend and Pahiatua where the event was second shear ewes later in February.  

Competitors were judged on speed and quality, taking into account care for the animal and the fibre.

Based on points earned through those five rounds, the circuit semi-final was fought out in Masterton by the top twelve shearers on the eve of the Golden Shears: a world premier shearing and wool handling event.  

Winners of the circuit event get $2000 in prizes and a Hyundai Santa Fe for one year, “which is a very good prize,” says Angus.

Angus has shorn sheep from Northland to Southland in his shearing career.

He was raised in Kekerengu and Ward, attended Primary school at Ward and then Marlborough Boys College.  You don’t get more local.  

The couple is now based in Marlborough having purchased a shearing run off retiring local shearer Joe Douglas in 2016.

Angus and the team shear from the Clarence to the Howard Valley, Awatere Valley and into the Marlborough Sounds. Ratapu Classes mid-micron and fine wool for local farmers during the pre-lamb season.