In 2020 Otago-based PGG Wrightson Wool representative Jared Manihera organised a 24-Hour shearathon, raising over $50,000 to support Tapanui, West Otago farm manager Shaun Bradley and his family as he battled cancer.

Two years on and this Waitangi Day weekend Jared and a team of four Otago shearers are aiming to shear over 9500 lambs in 24 hours. Additional stands will be available for other shearers to participate in the event: Shear 4 Blair.

Under the sponsorship of PGG Wrightson, and with support from across the wider rural sector, Shear 4 Blair is open to the public subject to Covid restrictions, and will also be live-streamed.

Eru Weeds, Cole Wells, Brayden Clifford and David Gower will shear 12 two hour runs, starting at 6am on Saturday, which, with breaks, means they are set to finish at 2pm on Sunday afternoon.

Farmers Nelson and Fiona Hancox are supplying one of their Wohelo Station, Moa Flat woolsheds for the weekend, plus the lambs.

Jared says the event is a huge logistical exercise, though the support of the community has been immense.

“Two years ago we organised the event in just a few weeks. This time around we have had a longer period to prepare, and some 50 or more businesses, organisations and individuals have come forward to help a strong community cause. Big thanks to Nelson and Fiona for supplying the sheep and opening up Wohelo Station for us, plus the many others whose support will help us raise funds to make a difference,” he says.   

While in 2020 the shearathon benefited a specific family at a tough time, this year the Shear 4 Blair event is in aid of the Southland Charity Hospital. Southland Charity Hospital Trust was established in 2019 following Southland man Blair Vining’s highly-publicised battle with terminal bowel cancer. Once completed the hospital will provide free services to those in the Southern District Health Board area who are unable to access public or private health care. The charity hospital model means the Trust is not funded by the Government and relies on fundraising from the community, therefore fundraising initiatives such as the Shear 4 Blair Shearathon are vital to being able to build, open, and operate the hospital. Proceeds from this event will be used to purchase medical equipment and major assets ahead of the hospital’s opening later this year.

For more information about the Southland Charity Hospital see https://www.southlandcharityhospital.org/