It would be reasonable to assume that any chap named nicknamed ‘Digger’ would be more inclined to value silver spades rather than golden shears. However, this shearing veteran explains to Jon Rawlinson, in competition or in the shed it pays to dig deep.
In addition to his day job, grinding it out in many a shearing shed, Richard ‘Digger’ Balme from Ōtorohanga is gearing up for another crack at competitive shearing’s highest honour.
Digger Balme. Photo: NZ Shears
At 60, he has stocked his trophy cabinet with world championships, world records and more, but one accolade has been elusive.
It could be a case of 10th time’s the charm for Balme at the Golden Shears starting next week but, as he concedes, youth could trump experience.
“I’ve had numerous wins with some of my biggest overseas – I won the Bath and West Golden Shears and the Corwen Shears [Wales], but the New Zealand Golden Shears is the Wimbledon of shearing.
“I think I’m getting too old to be right at the top level, but I’ll give it my best shot.
“I’ve made nine finals with my best coming second to David Fagan. Just making the finals is always big.”
Considering Sir David Fagan has 16 Golden Shears Open titles (a record to rival the All Blacks’), second is pretty impressive.
Southland’s Leon Samuels is the defending champ, and an eight-time winner, Rowland Smith (Hawke’s Bay), will be back after missing the 2024 event through injury. Balme also rates another.
“David Buick (Pongaroa) would have to be right up there. I think Rowley’s not quite where he wants to be at the moment, but he’s more than capable of making the finals again too.”
Beyond the Golden Shears, the NZ Shearing Champs in Te Kūiti (March 27-29) beckons.
However, Balme is also one of 10 top shearers invited to compete at the Rural Games in Feilding (March 7-9) where speed shearing is the name of the game.
Like a cricket test match, the golden Shears is the true test shearing, you want to shear as clean and as fast as you can, Balme says.
“…Speed shearing is more like T20 cricket, it’s real entertainment for the spectators and it’s over in a short time – you might only get to shear one sheep in the heat and then, if you’re lucky enough to make the final, you might get another.
“I made [a Rural Games] final once. If I can make it into the top four again this time, it’d be pretty good.”
Balme says another King Country competitor to watch at the Rural Games is Jack Fagan – he recently nipped across the ditch to claim the Oberon Quickshear title in a blistering 19.78 seconds.
“Jack’s cutting his own path, more in the speed shear, and he’s doing well in competitions.”
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Digger Balme at Whanau Event last year, son Josh in the background Photo: NZ Shears
