* ENGLISH VERSION END OF GERMAN TEXT
Schon der Name hat uns angelockt. Auf der Touri info hat man uns zwar gesagt, es gäbe eigentlich nichts zu sehen und Gundy, aber das war die Untertreibung des Jahres. Gundy war die Heimat von Gunsynd, dem legendären grauen Rennpferd. Es bekam seinen Namen vom Goondiwindi Syndikat, das ihn 1970 als junges Pferd für AUD 1500 erstanden hatte. Nicht nur hat Gunsynd so ziemlich alles gewonnen, was es zu gewinnen gab, er war auch ein ganz spezielles Showpferd. Er verneigte sich jedesmal vor der Tribune wenn ihm Beifall gezollt wurde und wandte sich den Pressefotografen zu, bis man ihn wegführen musste. Er war der Liebling der Massen und es wurde ein Lied für ihn komponiert, das wochenlang in der Hitparade war. Jetzt steht ein imposantes Denkmal mitten im Dorf. Gundy ist eine der grossen Baumwollzentren in Australien, neben Farming, Wolle und Fleisch. Unser Besuch fand zur idealsten Zeit statt, da die Goondiwindi Show angesagt war. Wir waren natürlich schon an der Eröffnung der Kunstshow mit Champagner und Häppchen dabei. Richtig zur Sache ging es aber dann am Tag danach, mit den Prämierungen in den verschiedensten Kategorien. Einer der Wolle Richter hat uns die verschiedenen Arten von Merino Wolle erklärt und gezeigt, was es braucht um ein Champion zu werden. Die Wolle muss ganz fein, stark und gewellt sein und das Flies sollte einigermassen sauber daherkommen. Am Nachmittag dann, der Schafschur Wettbewerb. Die Schärer gaben ihr Bestes und wurden nicht nur nach Zeit, ca 2 Minuten pro Schaf, bewertet, sondern auch danach, wieviele Schnittchen das Schaf in seiner runzeligen Haut erleiden musste. Dazwischen wurden auch die Rouseabouts „Razzers“ wie sie liebevoll genannt werden, die Wollbearbeiter, bewertet. Die Kunst besteht darin, das Flies so vom Boden aufzuheben, dass es mit einem Schwung offen auf den Tisch fällt, mit den Hinterbeinen Richtung Schärer, Wollseite oben. Sofort muss der Arbeitsplatz des Schärers von Abfallwolle gewischt werden. Dann wird in Windeseile Filz und stark verdreckte Wolle rund um das Flies weggerissen und auf verschiedene Haufen, nach Qualität, geworfen. Das Restflies wird nach Verfärbungen untersucht, die weisse Wolle kommt auf einen Haufen, die gelbliche auf einen anderen. Dazwischen muss der Boden laufend von Wollresten frei gewischt werden. Ein Razzer bedient zwischen 2 bis 3 Schärer. Ein guter Schärer schafft ca 130 Schafe pro Tag. Sie werden pro Schaf bezahlt. Alles in Allem eine ganz schöne Schinderei! Wir wissen das aus Erster Hand. An der Show haben wir Ian kennen gelernt, der uns auf seine Farm im Busch eingeladen hat.
* ENGLISH VERSION
Goondiwindi
The quite magical name has lured us to Goondiwindi. The Touri info told us, that there was hardly anything worth visiting in the neighbourhood, but that was the understatement of the year. Gundy was home to Gunsynd, the legendary gray race horse in the 1970s. He got the name from the Goondiwindi Syndicat which bought it of AUD 1500. Not only has Gunsynd won just about everything there was to be won, but he was a horse with a rare personality. When he heard the crowds on the stand applauding his success, he bowed once or twice in the direction of the spectators. He showed himself to all the photographers and pranced and preened himself until he was led away. He was the darling of the masses and even got a song which was a long time leading the top tens, he Goondiwindi Gray. Now there is a large statue in the middle of the village. Gundy is a cotton center with two cotton gins and lots of cotton fields, next to farming, wool and cattle. Our visit came at the most convenient time, it was Gundy Show time. Of course we went to the opening of the Art show with Champagne and warm and cold nibbles. The real show started the next day with Horse performances, cattle and sheep shows, and competitions in all agricultural categories. One of the wool judges showed us for what he looked in a Champion Merino fleece. The wool has to be very fine, finely crimped, strong, reasonably clean and long. In the afternoon we went to the shearing competition.. The shearers gave their best and were not only judged by the time per sheep, about 2 min, but also on the amount of cuts they inflicted on the wrinkled skin of the sheep. In between the rouseabouts or “razzers” as they are lovingly called, the wool handler, were also judged. A razzer has to take the freshly s cut fleece by its hindlegs and throw it in one flow flat on a table, headpiece at the far end,outside wool upside. Then the razzer takes away the dirty and felted pieces all around the fleece in a jiffy, throws these pieces on different piles, then the yellowish wool has to be eliminated and goes to a separate pile, the remaining white fleece is folded and put on yet another pile. In between the razzer has to make sure, that the workplace of the shearer is clean of wool and sweeps the remnants under the table. A Razzer serves two to three shearer. A good shearer manages about 130 sheep a day. They are paid be sheep. All in all, pretty hard work. We know this firsthand. We got to know a farmer at the show who invited us for a visit to his farm.
The quite magical name has lured us to Goondiwindi. The Touri info told us, that there was hardly anything worth visiting in the neighbourhood, but that was the understatement of the year. Gundy was home to Gunsynd, the legendary gray race horse in the 1970s. He got the name from the Goondiwindi Syndicat which bought it of AUD 1500. Not only has Gunsynd won just about everything there was to be won, but he was a horse with a rare personality. When he heard the crowds on the stand applauding his success, he bowed once or twice in the direction of the spectators. He showed himself to all the photographers and pranced and preened himself until he was led away. He was the darling of the masses and even got a song which was a long time leading the top tens, he Goondiwindi Gray. Now there is a large statue in the middle of the village. Gundy is a cotton center with two cotton gins and lots of cotton fields, next to farming, wool and cattle. Our visit came at the most convenient time, it was Gundy Show time. Of course we went to the opening of the Art show with Champagne and warm and cold nibbles. The real show started the next day with Horse performances, cattle and sheep shows, and competitions in all agricultural categories. One of the wool judges showed us for what he looked in a Champion Merino fleece. The wool has to be very fine, finely crimped, strong, reasonably clean and long. In the afternoon we went to the shearing competition.. The shearers gave their best and were not only judged by the time per sheep, about 2 min, but also on the amount of cuts they inflicted on the wrinkled skin of the sheep. In between the rouseabouts or “razzers” as they are lovingly called, the wool handler, were also judged. A razzer has to take the freshly s cut fleece by its hindlegs and throw it in one flow flat on a table, headpiece at the far end,outside wool upside. Then the razzer takes away the dirty and felted pieces all around the fleece in a jiffy, throws these pieces on different piles, then the yellowish wool has to be eliminated and goes to a separate pile, the remaining white fleece is folded and put on yet another pile. In between the razzer has to make sure, that the workplace of the shearer is clean of wool and sweeps the remnants under the table. A Razzer serves two to three shearer. A good shearer manages about 130 sheep a day. They are paid be sheep. All in all, pretty hard work. We know this firsthand. We got to know a farmer at the show who invited us for a visit to his farm.
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