Why Attend a Shearing Course- Jack Robinson

With our Young Farmers discount announced for another year, we caught up with Shearer and our very own Ambassador, Jack Robinson, to find out why he thinks shearing courses are so important.

Q: What motivated you to become a Shearer?

A: "I started off shearing my own sheep on the farm and entered the Junior competition at Balmoral and won it after that I then got the bug."

Q: At what age did you start Shearing?

A: "17 years old."

Q: Where has shearing taken you in the world?

A: "I have been lucky to travel across the world experiencing shearing in New Zealand, Estonia, Lativa, Finland, England and Scotland."

Q: How many shearing courses have you attended and where?

A: "In 2004 I attended my first beginners’ course at Seamus Gormley’s and then I attended every year after that up to doing an advanced course in later years. I started instructing for Ulster Wool in 2019 which I really enjoy and looking forward to instructing again next year."

Q: Would you say that attending these courses has improved your shearing ability?

A: "Without a doubt. You are always learning something every day from different shearers. You never stop learning even now as an Open shearer, we continue to learn from each other on how to do the cleanest job. This is obviously better for the sheep, but better for the wool as well."

Q: What seal have you gained?

A: "Gold"

Q: Why would you recommend attending a course to potential new trainees coming into the industry?

A: "It’s a great opportunity to learn a new skill, and if you’re willing to work hard, and put in the practice, you’ll succeed and go far."

Q: Would you say it is important to attend multiple courses?

A: "You definitely need to because there’s that much to remember at once, from your balance, where your feet go, to your non-dominate hand- everything has to be taken into consideration when learning how to shear well and safely, and that’s why attending a course once a year, or a refresher every few years is important to help keep you on the right track as it’s real easy to pick up bad habits."

Q: What would be your top tips for attending a shearing course to get the most out of it?

A: "Take all the wool off the first time round and always think about the finished job."