New ambassador plays ball at the Golden Shears

New ambassador plays ball at the Golden Shears

New US ambassador Mark Gilbert has backed-up his promise to become immersed in New Zealand culture by shearing a sheep at the Golden Shears in Masterton today..

Immediately afterwards, the 58-year-old former baseballer fielded the tough question of whether a US president may follow in his moccasin steps across the stage of the World’s most famous shearing and woolhandling competition, saying “I will tell him” about the experience, and maybe encourage President Obama to one day also make the pilgrimage.

“It was great,” said Mr Gilbert, unlacing the new footwear. “It’s the first time I’ve worn mocassins – to shear a sheep.”

“I started to get the hang of it,” said the ambassador, who grew-up in Pittsburgh, Penn, and showed his own sporting prowess in seven games for professional basebull outfit the Chicago White Sox in 1985. “You start to feel how talented these shearers are.”

“I have been close to sheep, before,” but I’ve never shorn one before.”

His debut today, getting used to the size and friskiness of the sheep and the determination of the steel handpiece to beat the man, was in front of a stadium crowd of about 500 people, but it was shown live around the World on the live-streaming of the Golden Shears.

Mr Gilbert took up his appointment in January, and wasn’t the first US Ambassor to cross the Rimutaka Ranges from the Embassy in Wellington to visit the Golden Shears. Possibly the first was the now-late John Henning, ambassador in 1967-69.

ends

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