Sheep Shearing An Olympic Sport?
The New Zealand Federated Farmers released a statement Monday saying the "time has come to elevate shearing's sporting status to the ultimate world stage", adding that the world's top shearers were "athletes who take it to another level."
According to The Associated Press, New Zealand produces some of the world's best shearers and its national championship receives substantial local media coverage.
New Zealand is hosting the world shearing championships in March. Federated Farmers Meat and Fiber chairwoman Jeanette Maxwell said it was an appropriate time for the sport to press for wider international recognition. She said, "one way would be to make shearing a demonstration sport at a Commonwealth Games, if not, the Olympics itself".
Maxwell added that New Zealand's government sports funding agency Sparc recognized shearing as a sport and Australia had previously pressed for its inclusion in the Commonwealth Games.