Pahīatua shearing stalwart Phil Morrison making the most of opportunities

Philip Morrison, at his Pahīatua home, was awarded life membership of Shearing Sports New Zealand for his services to shearing.

Philip Morrison was only 22 when he joined the Pahīatua Shears committee.

And he’s been a member ever since.

It’s an involvement that has led him pretty much around the world, from judging world championships in the UK, to being vice chairman (southern hemisphere) of the Golden Shears World Council.

Phil’s time in shearing started with a provincial course in 1968, run by Federated Farmers, receiving a certificate from the New Zealand Wool Board.

“All you had to do was shear one sheep in five minutes. That got you started.”

The wool board doesn’t do such courses any more, Phil says, but there are private outfits which do, although he adds they’re quite expensive.

In 1972, Phil shore the first Pahīatua Shears, which was held out at the golf course, and helped build a stand the following summer.

The stand was installed in February the next year, but that year it rained and they never got the chance to use the stand.

Phil enjoys shearing and says it’s very satisfying to shear cleanly.

But while he did quite a bit of open shearing for farmers and had his own sheep on the farm, he says he didn’t really do it enough to get really good or fast.

He participated in competitions for a few years but it was through his involvement in the Pahīatua Shears committee that he got into judging.

When he joined the Golden Shears committee in 2003 he took on various roles until they asked him to be the chief referee. He also served as president for five years.

“I’m still very involved with Golden Shears. Shearing takes up a lot of my time.”

Phil says it’s all voluntary. “It’s a passion.”

He says there are a lot of old judges around and they’re trying to recruit new ones all the time.

“You’ve got to be passionate. Don’t say no if you get asked. Make the most of the opportunities and that’s really what a lot of it’s about.”

Philip Morrison (right) was bestowed a life member of Shearing Sports New Zealand by chairman Sir David Fagan at the Golden Shears in Masterton on March 2. Photo / Pete Nikolaison

Phil has been bestowed life membership of Shearing Sports New Zealand which he says he is “quite chuffed” about, for services to shearing sports.

He believes that his time with Pahīatua Shears and learning the ropes has stood him in good stead.

“I have a lot of knowledge, I guess.”

He’s also one to practise what he preaches in making the most of opportunities, especially in judging, as he can only judge if he’s invited to.

Shearing hasn’t changed too much in his time, just the gear and the fitness has improved.

“We never used to have any really good open shearers much past 40. Now with the fitness and the gear, if they keep it up, it’s not an issue anymore.”

Phil believes the shearing style is still based on the Bowen method of shearing, first developed by Godfrey Bowen and his brother Ivan.

“It’s generally followed around the world these days.”

He says there are shearers who come from overseas to learn the style.

“They improve like mad out here.”

He believes it’s because the sheep in New Zealand are harder to shear.

“Over [in the UK] they’re generally more open in the points, around the head and the leg, and to a certain degree over there, sheep tend to lose bits of wool.

“Shearing a sheep is all about rhythm. When there’s only little bits of wool ... they were tending to leave that and just poke around trying to get all the longer bits off and they lost all their rhythm.”

Phil says he’ll continue to be involved in shearing sports, at least until the world championships, due to be held in 2026 in Masterton where around 25 countries will be competing.