The 16-year-old’s shearing contractor and instructor at Woorndoo Roger Mifsud said working overseas was a good way for a young shearer to have a cheap holiday in another country.

Matthew said he would shear in England for about three months. He worked in New Zealand with Roger last year.

“It was awesome – like a holiday.”

Matthew said he didn’t realise the potential in shearing until he took it up fulltime.

“I didn’t realise how big it could be.”

Roger is a shearing instructor with the Shearing Contractors Association of Australia. He said shearers could work in several countries – including Italy, England, France, South Afrcia and the United State sof America.

“A lot of people don’t realise that you can travel the world with it.”

Matthew said he would eventually like to represent Australian on the shearing board, but basically aspired “just to be best I can”.

“It’s hard honest work… I like the people you meet and the friends you make – it’s just awesome.”

Matthew competed in the intermediate section of the prime lamb shearing competition at the Hamilton Beef Expo last week. He won his first learner competition in Tasmania in March last year, just four months after taking up shearing fulltime. He could now shear about 220 crossbred lambs or about 180 Merino ewes in a day.

The Beef Expo shearing event’s intermediate section was won by Warrnambool’s Nathan Lillie, with Leigh Cowland in second place and Dale Nitschke third. Ararat shearer Joe Tumohe won the open event from Woorndoo shearer Jason Wardlaw with ex-patriate New Zealander Hamish Bramley in third place.