Victoria gets a handle on a new life

Victoria Lang left her cushy job as a clerk in Hobart’s Supreme Court six year ago for the greasy, physical, fast-paced world of wool handling.

Not only does she love working around the state’s wool sheds with her partner and gun shearer Sam Byers, but she’s also pushed herself to compete and excel at what she does and the couple are aiming to make it to 20th Golden Shears World Shearing and Wool Handling Championships in Masterton in March next year.

“I was going to competitions to watch Sam compete and that’s what got me interested in trying wool handling,” Victoria said.

“Now I’m just as passionate about the wool industry as Sam is, and I love the challenge it throws up every day.”

Having known each other since school the couple bought a caravan and spent two years travelling and working interstate, enjoying the nomadic lifestyle that shearing offers.

Recently returning to Tasmania and settling in Ross, the couple are well-known faces on the boards and are among the leaders in their respective fields in local shearing and wool handling competitions.

Victoria competed at the Royal Sydney Easter Show in April and won the Golden Stencil in the national graduation competition.

At Campbell Town show recently where the State Titles were held, Sam won the Open Shearing Championship and Victoria the Open Wool handling. They continued their good form in the Speed Shear contest, with Sam the winner and Victoria in third place.

In Sports Shear the shearer and wool handler are teamed up by a random draw – so far Sam and Victoria have never drawn each other.

“Really you’re competing separately, and you aren’t judged on wool handling until the last sheep is shorn – but the faster the shearer the more pressure there is in the heats!” Victoria said.

“In the finals you have a pace shearer to make sure no one has an advantage.”

During the past six years since taking up wool handling, Victoria has been to three Nationals, once as a novice competitor and twice in open.

Last year she didn’t compete but attended as the wool handling manager for the state team, however, she’ll be back in the thick of things at the Nationals in Jamestown, South Australia on October 29 and 30.

“I’ll be aiming to be among the top two wool handlers and Sam the top three shearers to qualify to go to the Worlds,” Victoria said.

“But it’s stiff competition – so we’ll just have to hope that our best will be good enough.”