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The Muster- Duncan Leslie: NZ Shearing Team · The Muster on Hokonui

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Welcome back to The Muster. We're away over to Warrnambool
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: now in southern Victoria where we catch up with Duncan Leslie.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: He is part of the New Zealand Trans-Tasman sharing team
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: for the first time. Duncan, welcome to The Muster. Good
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: to chat. Good to hear you. OK, so you're in
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: the New Zealand shearing team for the first time. Tomorrow's
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: when you put the black singlet on for the first
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: time as well, mate. Must be a pretty cool moment.
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, pretty cool moment, all right. I know a
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: lot of shearers kind of dream of doing that and, yeah,
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: very grateful to be here.
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: Now, you won the open shearing title on Marinos at
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: the New Zealand Champs in Alexandra recently, so what's been
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: different for you since that occasion, since winning in Alexandra?
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: What's changed?
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: A little bit of just a mindset change of knowing
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: I can do it now and, yeah, a little bit
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: of change of gear too. Using cover comb in Alexandria,
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: we'll be using flat combs over here in Australia. So, yeah,
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: just having to think about what kind of gear we'll
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: be using and whatnot, yeah.
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: Why the change in comb over there? Is that just
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: the way it works?
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: Yeah, pretty much all of Australia using flat comb. Yeah,
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: we just use the winter cover comb in New Zealand
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: while it's colder through the pre-lamp.
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: Because you haven't really got a lot of time to practice.
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: You guys are all practicing today by the sounds of it,
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: ahead of tomorrow kicking off. Does that really come into play,
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: or is it all about being caught up in the
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: moment for you guys?
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think having the practice right before your sharing
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: is quite a good thing. You don't want too much
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: time to sit around and think about it, get inside
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: your own head a wee bit too much. So it's
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: good just to share a few, keep your hand going,
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: and find a comb that might run well tomorrow.
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: Now, you're in the team with Jack Fagan and Ty Henderson.
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: Scott Mackay's doing the blade sharing, so all parts of
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: the spectrum are covered as well.
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, we've got Alan Oldfield as well, blade sharing,
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: and we've got two wall handlers. We've got Fagan and
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: Nio Henson.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: It's a real camaraderie thing, I suppose, and the old
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: New Zealand-Australia mentality must come into it.
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, no, it is always good to get up
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: and cheer against Australians, try and get one round them, yeah.
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: So what happens for the competition proper tomorrow? What do
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: you guys know about it so far, Duncan?
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: As far as I know, we've got six marinos and
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: six crossbreds, and yeah, we just give it hell.
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: And it's all part of the Australian Championship, so I
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: dare say it's a pretty big occasion.
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: Yeah, there's all the seven state teams here from Australia
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: that are all competing on the Saturday, but tomorrow during
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: the day is the open any great all the grades
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: anyone can enter. So, yeah, we'll all go tomorrow and
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: the Australians all battle it out on the Saturday.
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: You're based at Warrnambool for the next couple of days.
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: I said to you briefly off air that it's like
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: the Southland of Victoria when you go through there. A
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: lot of dairy heartland, but obviously sheep and beef country
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: as well.
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it looked like a lot of dairy as we
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: were coming in. Green grass everywhere. Yeah, very much Southland vibe. Yeah.
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: From what you've seen, it's been not too long. The
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: sharing scene in Australia, it's a big deal though, isn't it?
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: Yeah, a lot of teams here competing. There'll be a
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: lot of the best sharers here tomorrow. I think there's
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: no entries in any of the grades left. It's sold out,
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: I guess. Yeah, no spots left. Full heats in every grade.
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: Are you expecting much of a Kiwi contingent in the
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: crowd cheering you guys on?
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I know there's a few Kiwis around this area
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: at the moment, so there'll be some of us here, yep. Awesome.
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: So, and of course, you've got the return leg as
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: well happening at the Golden Shares in early March as well.
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: So this is only phase one as such, is that right?
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right. Yeah, another test in, yeah, first weekend
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: of March, I believe it is, this year. Yeah, so
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: we'll battle it out again there.
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: What do you prefer, sharing marinos or going more into
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: traditional crossbreds?
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: I probably don't have a preference. I know a lot
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: of people would have a preference one way or the other.
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: But no, as long as they're a nice sheep, I
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: don't mind what they are. As long as they comb, really.
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: As long as you can, yeah, you just get into them.
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: And Duncan, just for yourself, for people who aren't aware,
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: you're sharing background. How long have you been involved for
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: the industry for?
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: I've been sharing a little over 10 years now, full time.
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: Competed for most of that time. around about five years
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: in the Open. And actually, Alexander was my first Open win.
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: So to get straight in the team like that, I'm
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: pretty blown away.
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: Conditions in the wool shed, what are you anticipating?
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: It'll be quite warm, I would say, tomorrow if this
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: cloud burns off. It was warm enough up there now
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: and it's not a hot day. So I'd say it
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: could be quite warm tomorrow. It's going to be mid-20s,
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: the forecast is saying. So sheep will be warm and
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: very good shearing, I'd say.
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: Yeah, we can only dream of that for Southland for
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: the next couple of days. Hey, good on you, Duncan,
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: and all the very best for the Trans-Tasman test kicking
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: off tomorrow. Thanks for your time.
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: No, awesome. Thank you.
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: Duncan Leslie, part of the New Zealand shearing team in
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: the Trans-Tasman competition with the Aussies, which is happening there
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: in mighty Warrnambool in Victoria. This is the muster up next.
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: We are catching up with Geordie Yead based at Riverton.
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: Warrnambool in Victoria