Phil Morrison at the Golden Shears. PHOTO/FILE
Wairarapa farmer Philip Morrison has been awarded life membership with Shearing Sports New Zealand.
Morrison was recognised along with former chairman Gavin Rowland.
Morrison has a world of experience under his belt, with over 40 years on the North Island committee, 49 years on the Pahiatua Shears committee, 20 of which he was president.
He has been a committee member of Golden Shears since 2003 and was president from 2014 to 2018, as well as a Golden Shears judge of shearing and wool handling since 1982.
Morrison is also well known on an international scale. He is the vice-chairman of the Shearing World Council Committee, and New Zealand delegate.
Morrison and his counterpart have become the fourth and fifth life members in the history of Shearing Sports New Zealand.
SSNZ chairman Sir David Fagan said the life memberships would be officially recognised with presentations at times suitable to recipients.
Fagan said both Morrison and Rowland typified the meaning of life membership.
“The shearing industry and shearing sports is their life,” he said. “They are totally committed and passionate about what they do in the interests of both the industry and the sport and fully deserving of this recognition.”
Fagan said Morrison had been involved as a shearing official in many roles over the past 50 years, and Rowland, a former World multi-stand shearing record holder had been an integral part of the establishment and development of Shearing Sports New Zealand, as well as being regarded as a guru within the wool harvesting training industry.
Other life members are Robin Kidd, Hugh McCarroll MNZM, and John Fagan MBE.
