Waipawa woman Trish Ludlow named North Island's top wool classer

Top ranked woolclasser Trish Ludlow. Photo / supplied

Waipawa wool classer Trish Ludlow's experience and high standards has gained her the 2019/20 North Island Merit Award for a second time.

This year's accolade is for the preparation of CHB wool grower Andrew Ellingham's FAE UnderBar woolclip, sponsored by NZ Woolscours and harvested and prepared by Jus Shearing Team - the same team that harvested Te Kaihi's woolclip in the 2017/18 season, contributing to the owner David Daunton receiving a woolclassing merit.

Trish was also recognised in the 2014/15 season for the high standard of wool preparation of CHB woolgrower Dennis Bell's Roundaway woolclip harvested by Shearing NZ.

She says being nominated for these awards, where strict criteria is used to judge numerous woolclips, brings great satisfaction.

This award is more desirable, Trish says, as there are not as many big North Island full wool (eight-12 months wool growth) sheep flocks as there used to be.

Working in the wool harvesting industry for 25 years, Trish has carried on the family tradition of her grandfather Genesis Floyd, who had a shearing run in the 1960s around Tikokino, still remembered as the "Flying Floyds".

Trish is no stranger to success, in 2012/13 season making the top 12 Open Class woolhandlers in New Zealand and in the same season fourth place in the North Island, then top 10 in the world qualifying circuit in 2014.

Due to the physical demand of the job causing back pain, Trish has capitalised on her experience with youth and recently settled into a hostel supervisor role at Te Aute College, but says she has plenty of time in the holidays to work on farms.

She has also accepted a place on the CHB A&P shears committee and is looking forward to contributing to the A&P show in November, hoping to see the novice section grow and encourage more locals have a go in both shearing and woolhandling.

"I have a few more goals left to achieve. In this industry it is always about He Tangata - the people," she says.

For more information go to www.woolclassers.org.nz