Our first family of woolpressing

THE Goodger brothers of Masterton proved they are the first family of wool pressing this year at the 2006 New Zealand Shearing Championships held in Te Kuiti last weekend.
"They are undoubtedly the best wool pressers in the country and Jeremy right now is the best of the best," said David McLean, event judge and former Wairarapa shearing contractor.
"If you were putting together a shearing shed dream team, these four brothers would be pressing. They are the Fagans of wool pressing."
Jeremy, the present Golden Shears wool pressing singles champion, comprehensively took out the singles title at Te Kuiti, and with younger brother Warrick won the doubles event ahead of their brothers Vinnie and James, who placed a very close second in the final. Jeremy and Warrick are also the reigning Golden Shears wool pressing doubles champions.
Competing pressers are judged on speed, bale weight and care and safety of operation, Mr McLean said.
Warrick and Vinnie are pupils at Wairarapa College, James is working as a baker at Breadcraft and Jeremy is working fulltime as a wool presser.
In the earlier doubles pressing heats at Te Kuiti, he said, Vinnie and James finished dead equal with a Wanganui pair but managed to best the competition in the high noon final the following day.
"In my six years as a judge I have never seen a dead heat in wool pressing. It was incredibly exciting and the crowd just loved it."
Mr McLean said wool pressing was becoming extremely popular with the crowds. It was very demanding physically and great to watch.
Mr McLean said Jeremy had set the benchmark for the entire singles competition and his closest rival by points in the finals were "far, far away".
"Jeremy set a time of just over 10 minutes and when you consider that times usually vary from 12 to 19 minutes ? and the weight of his bale was only a couple of kilos over the 170kg target ? he was a very hard act to follow," Mr McLean said.
Mr McLean said the wool pressed in the competition was heavier and of a different quality to that in Wairarapa, which is "bulkier and lighter because of our dry summer".
Jeremy had also won the speed pressing contest that had competitors completing a press of 200kg of wool already set for baling, and had also been entered in the junior wool handling and shearing events, Mr McLean said.
"Which shows the man will give absolutely anything a go. In the sheds you can have four fast shearers on the board and Jeremy just cruises. I believe his superiority is down to his physical fitness, nous, and commitment.
"You have to remember the presser on the job has to pen up the sheep, press the wool, and make the tea. First to start and last to finish ? some say the presser is the hardest worker on any gang," he said.
"Unlike his fellow competitors, Jeremy trains regularly at a gym for strength and fitness, along with his younger brothers. He commands respect with his manner and nature and he's a true role model for young Maori men."
Jeremy is a four-time Golden Shears singles wool pressing champion and won a singles title at Te Kuiti in 2003.
"I know Jeremy's done an excellent job of coaching his brothers and I reckon he should watch out over the next few years ? they're catching up to him real fast."
Official 2006 New Zealand Shearing Championships results:
NZ Shears Wool Pressing Singles: 1st Place - Jeremy Goodger, Masterton, 68.28; 2nd Place - Kelly Brill, Te Awamutu, 117.8.
NZ Shears Wool Pressing Doubles: 1st Place - Jeremy and Warrick Goodger, Masterton, 46.9; 2nd Place ? James and Vinnie Goodger, Masterton, 49.04.