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Shear determination<br />
drives Troy’ssuccess<br />
By DAVID HILL<br />
As ateenager growing up in Southland<br />
two decades ago, Troy Pyper had one<br />
goal —torepresent New Zealand in<br />
shearing.<br />
Mr Pyper, now settled in Cheviot, has<br />
been selected for three transTasman<br />
shearing test teams and has shorn sheep<br />
around the world.<br />
‘‘My advice to young shearers starting<br />
out is to make agoal and make it happen.<br />
Whatever you do, you’ve got to have a<br />
goal; otherwise you’re just coasting.<br />
‘‘It’s alittle bit of hard work, but it’s<br />
definitely worth it and it takes you<br />
places. It’s taken me around the world.’’<br />
Growing up around shearers, his<br />
mother was ashearer’s cook and his<br />
uncle and cousin were both professional<br />
shearers.<br />
‘‘My cousin said ‘you never really start<br />
shearing until you’re 30 years old’, so I<br />
went overseas and had some fun and<br />
then Icame back.’’<br />
After shearing professionally for just<br />
three months, Mr Pyper met ayoung<br />
Welsh shearer who invited him to work<br />
in Wales.<br />
That was 20 years ago and, as a<br />
teenager, he won the senior final at the<br />
Royal Welsh Show.<br />
On his way back, Mr Pyper worked in<br />
Western Australia, where he was<br />
introduced to Merinos.<br />
‘‘I jumped off the plane, Iwas just 18 or<br />
19 years old, and Icaught abus and went<br />
up to aplace called Dongara.<br />
‘‘That experience in Western<br />
Australia shaped me as ashearer,’’ Mr<br />
Pyper says.<br />
While there he received mentoring<br />
from an experienced shearer who had<br />
represented both New Zealand and<br />
Australia in shearing tests.<br />
Of all the breeds he has shorn, Merino<br />
is his preferred sheep.<br />
Last October, Mr Pyper won the New<br />
Zealand Merino Championship at<br />
Waimate, which earned him selection in<br />
the New Zealand test team to face<br />
Australia for the third time.<br />
The test has not taken place because of<br />
Sheardelight... <strong>North</strong><strong>Canterbury</strong> shearer<br />
Troy Pyper,left, celebrates afterwinning the<br />
Amurishears earlier this month with his<br />
partnerRipeka Ferris. PHOTO:ELITE WOOLINDUSTRY TRAINING<br />
Covid19, but he was part of the national<br />
team which defeated Australia at the<br />
Golden Shears last year, having<br />
previously been part of aNew Zealand<br />
team which lost on Australian soil.<br />
Over the years, Mr Pyper has won 32<br />
open finals including four in Australia,<br />
the New Zealand Corriedale<br />
Championship at the <strong>Canterbury</strong> A&P<br />
Show in 2015 and 2018 and the New<br />
Zealand longwool title at Lumsden last<br />
year, as well as two appearances in the<br />
Golden Shears final.<br />
His personal bests are 670 crossbred<br />
lambs shorn in aninehour day and 500<br />
ewes in 9hours, but he hopes to pass 600<br />
ewes and 700 lambs.<br />
Now living in Cheviot with his partner,<br />
Ripeka Ferris, Mr Pyper says he enjoys<br />
being close to the beach.<br />
‘‘You’ve got to work and have abit of<br />
leisure as well. Ienjoy abit of fishing<br />
and surfcasting and Ijust love<br />
everything about the beach. It’s my local<br />
supermarket.’’<br />
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