Nicki Guttler wins two Open titles in Australia — ABC News Australia
Australian shearer Nicki Guttler won the Open machine shear and Open blade shear categories at the 150th Forbes Show. As ABC News Australia reports, the 32-year-old athlete may be the first person in the world to win both top-category titles at a single event on the same day.
Sports Shear NSW, the association behind the competition, believes that no one had previously won both Open machine shear and Open blade shear at the same event. The Open category is the highest level in competitive sheep shearing, where participants compete for speed and precision.
Return after injury
A few months ago, Guttler could barely put on her shoes or walk around her home because of back problems. She said she had bulging discs in her lower back that were pressing on her sciatic nerve. As a result, it was painful for her not only to move, but also to sit.
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After two years of recovery, the athlete decided to return to shearing. During the machine shearing final at the Forbes Show, she thought of her late grandmother. Guttler was taught the skill of sheep shearing by her mother, while her grandmother encouraged her to pursue it.
Previous records and women's participation
Guttler began competing while still at school and at local agricultural shows, gradually progressing from the novice class to Open. Previously, she set the women's record for eight-hour solo lamb shearing, shearing 450 animals, and became the first woman in Australia to win an Open-category speed shearing competition.
According to the 2021 census, women accounted for less than 5% of workers in Australia's sheep shearing industry. Sports Shear NSW treasurer Carla Boland said that more and more women are appearing in competitions, and that Guttler's result shows girls that they can progress through all classes to the highest level.
