Two Isle of Man woolhandlers have made history after representing the island for the first time at an international shearing competition in New Zealand.

Hannah Moore and Rose Crellin-Christian competed on the world stage as part of a four-person Manx team at the renowned Golden Shears. The pair took part in two competition rounds alongside entries from nearly 30 countries, completing a full-wool round and a second-shear round.

They were joined by machine shearers Philip Christian and Daniel Creer, with the team managed by James Radcliffe. The shearers also competed in two rounds of the world championship machine shearing contest.

In preparation for the event, Hannah spent three months working in Dannevirke with the shearing contractor ‘MainShear’, while the rest of the Manx team joined her in New Zealand three weeks before the competition.

During their preparations, the shearers trained with experienced New Zealand shearer Tuma Mullins, while Hannah and Rose adapted to a different woolhandling system from the one typically used in the island.

‘In the Isle of Man we take the belly and roll it into the fleece,’ Hannah explained. ‘In New Zealand, second-shear competitions use five or six buckets, while full-wool rounds use nine or 10, and everything is done against the clock.’

Despite the adjustment, the Manx competitors performed strongly, with both the shearers and woolhandlers finishing mid-table overall.

Hannah and Rose also secured individual placings during their time in New Zealand. Hannah finished third in the junior woolhandling class at the Apiti Shears, while Rose placed fourth in the novice woolhandling competition at the Golden Shears.

Hannah added: ‘Once home, we are straight into the swing of lambing and calving before we turn our attention to the Isle of Man Shears Competition, to be held on Saturday, May 23 at the Guilcagh Farm in Andreas.’

To keep up to date on their progress, you can visit the ‘Isle of Man Shears’ Facebook page.