A trio of Glen Innes shearers have been selected to represent NSW in the sport's national competition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Jack Hillier, Byron Campbell and Daniel McIntyre will head to Dubbo at the end of November to take on the country at the sport.
Mum Jeannette Hillier said she couldn't be more proud of her son.
"I'm really proud of him because it's important to me that he understands about wool if he's going to be in the industry. it's important to me that he understands all sides of the industry not just one," she said.
Hillier will compete in novice wool handling, which tests you on preparing the product by for example separating out stained or dirty wool.
He won the place at the state competition, held in Dubbo last month after winning a competition in Inverell.
The 15 year old, who lives on a property 30 kilometers out of Glen Innes, has been competing in the sport for just 18 months.
If you're competing at a national level in any sport at 15 you're doing pretty well she said.
"He's done well to give it a go because he doesn't do a lot of it; he's only learning," she said.
"He is only a learner, he's not mastered any of it by any means. He's got so much improvement in him it's not funny and at 15 you have got improvement if you stick with it."
The tradition is firmly part of the family. Dad Adam Hillier is a professional shearer, as are over half a dozen cousins, some of who have competed in the sport in the past. His mum is also a professional woolclasser.
"It's not an easy job; it's labour intensive. And it's important to do a good job for the people at the end to get the money for the people who own the sheep.
"I've always said to my kids it doesn't matter what you do as long as you do it the best you can do it. You don't have to be the best at it, as long as you're doing it the best you can do it and doing the right thing by everyone that's in it."
The Examiner did ask Jack questions but like many teenagers the soft-spoken 15 year old gave very brief answers.
Glen Innes has a strong shearing culture, including the national team's captain Daniel McIntyre.
He is leading the Australian team in the sport's equivalent of the World Cup in France next month, off the back of a win in the Trans-Tasman shearing competition in New Zealand. McIntyre is also the Australian champion and has competed at an international level before.