Sheep were all the talk at the Canowindra Showground last Thursday to Sunday, with the inaugural Canowindra Wool Harvest Expo taking place. The free four day event featured the latest shearing equipment, 1000 sheep, sheep handlers, shearing shed builders, sheep nutrition and wool brokers. A range of stud breeds, training demonstrations and health advice were also on display, and each day of the expo had a different focus.
Thursday and Friday saw students from local schools head out to the Showground to learn all about sheep and wool. Canowindra High School students were joined by students from other high schools on Thursday, and were treated to a career day, as well as learning about wool handling and classing.
Friday saw local primary school students attend, with blade shearing, farmers, contractors, stalls and yard setups being the focus. Equipment such as motors, hand pieces, combs and wool handling machines were also on deck for students to try out. Canowindra Health Services also provided hearing tests on the day, and the Black Dog Institute had a stall going, as well as a guest speaker at Friday night’s dinner, who discussed depression in a rural setting.
Saturday was an open day for the public to try the latest sheep products, with stalls and setups from the previous day staying up for the day. Sunday was a sheep training day, with judging and Sportshear NSW training being conducted all day. Local stud breeder Don Mudford said the inaugural event was a great set up for displaying sheep and equipment, but it also hit it’s mark in promoting animal welfare.
“It’s a great chance for us to show that the sheep are treated well when it comes to shearing them,” he said. “The event is a great idea, and gives visitors a good education on sheep and shearing.”