Champion shearer Rowland Smith has been helping out in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today
Top shearer Rowland Smith has had to rethink his 2023 World Championships dreams after being among the thousands caught up in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.
Smith’s Aorangi Road farm in Maraekakaho, near Hastings, flooded, along with the surrounding area.
Despite this, he’s been helping others deal with the devastation in Hawke’s Bay, and putting his famous love of tractor driving to good use.
Four of the tractors from Smith’s agricultural contracting business were busy with the cleanup, he told The Country’s, Jamie Mackay.
“We’re just helping out wherever we can, filling in holes or picking up slash - it’s pretty brutal work out there.
“I can’t even describe how much work has to be done in the Hawke’s Bay - it’s mind-blowing.”
Like many in the region, Smith had his own issues to deal with, such as a washed-out bridge on Aorangi Rd, and a damaged water supply on his farm.
“We got down to our local bridge and that was underwater at the time ... we finally got down to our pump shed last night, thanks to local contractors and hopefully get water back up and running today back on the farm.”
However, he said he was better off than many others in the region.
“We got off pretty lucky here compared to a lot of people in certain spots. So, look, I can’t really complain, we’re all safe [and the] house is good.”
Smith should be shearing at all three competitions over the next few days - the Taumarunui Shears tomorrow, the Āpiti Sports Shears on Saturday, and the 50th Pahiatua Shears on Sunday but Cyclone Gabrielle had thrown these plans into disarray.
Smith reckoned he could get to Taimaranui the “long way around” but wasn’t sure if he should.
Listen below:
“Is it the right decision? There are a lot of things to take into consideration.”
This included being away from his family and property, with the possibility of looters, although he said that wasn’t a problem in his area right now.
“That is something that plays in [your] mind, going away from home and leaving the family, it is a bit worrying.”
Next week, he would have been off to Masterton for the Golden Shears, with the goal of successfully defending the open shearing title, and claiming a place in the Shearing Sports New Zealand team for the World Championships in Scotland on June 22-25.
Again, Cyclone Gabrielle had put his Golden Shears hopes in jeopardy.
Smith’s World Championship goal had an extra edge to it, as he won the title in Ireland in 2014, and his brother, Cornwall farmer Matt, will be there representing England.
Now his priorities had changed, especially with his shearing and agricultural contracting businesses to think about.
“Sheep still need to be shorn. This rain has obviously put a lot of wool rot into sheep that haven’t been shorn yet.”
A “very, very trying season” had made shearing even tougher, he said.
“I mean, we’ve had three, four weather events - it’s made shearing very difficult.”
Right now, Smith’s focus was on doing what he could, where he could, both for himself and his workers.
“At the end of the day, people still need to be making money and able to feed their families.”
Meanwhile, rain is putting at least two competitions at risk this weekend, with organisers at both Apiti and the Kaikoura A&P Show in the South Island wondering whether their events will be able to go ahead on Saturday as scheduled.
They were still scheduled to go ahead today.
Two woolhandling positions for the World Championships will be decided at the Golden Shears, while the second machine shearing position will result from the New Zealand Shears in Te Kuiti on March 30-April 1.
February 24
Taumarunui Shears: Friday, start 8am, shearing and woolhandling, novice to open, at Hikurangi Station, 611 Ngakonui-Ongarue Rd, Taumarunui 3920.
February 25
February 26
50th Anniversary Pahiatua Shears: Sunday, start 8am, shearing only, novice to open, at Fouhy Family Woolshed, 2120 Mangaone Valley Rd, Pahiatua 4910.
March 1
Wairarapa Pre-Shears Wool handling: Wednesday, start 8.30am, woolhandling only, novice to open, at Riverside Farm, Mikimiki Rd, off State Highway 2, north of Masterton.
March 2-4
61st Golden Shears International Shearing and Wool Handling Championships: Thursday-Friday, all grades and other events start 7.45 am daily, at War Memorial Stadium, Masterton.
March 4
Amuri A and P Show Shears: Saturday, start 10am, shearing only, junior to open, at Rotherham Showgrounds, Rotherham (North Canterbury) 7379.