The Beverwijkse Aagtenpark is colored green and white. No less than 650 sheep with very thick fur are hiding between the still high grass. A remarkable scene, but not for long. Sheep shearers from the Dutch team have come especially to Beverwijk to neatly measure the animals again. All this in preparation for the World Sheep Shearing Championships in Scotland.
The sheep are owned by shepherd Marleen de Bie. She didn’t advertise the shaving, but she did announce it on Facebook. “When we are busy, many people will come and ask what we are doing. I don’t really have time for that. 650 sheep have to be sheared.”
World Cup
The sheep shearers come especially for Marleen’s sheep. “They shear a special breed called the Welsh Hill Speckled Face during the World Cup in Scotland. There are more sheep of this kind in the Netherlands, but they all come from here because I breed them and no one else. That’s why they want to train here.”
Known
Marleen’s herd of nomad sheep is not completely unknown in the IJmond. The temporary grazing areas can be recognized by the fenced off areas with electric fencing. Her sheep move from grazing area to grazing area and ensure that the hogweed populations do not get out of hand. “The animals do a wonderful job,” says Marleen proudly.
“When I’m grumpy and I see how content they are gnawing and chewing, it makes me happy again. You never really hear them bleating unless they want something from you, which is always food. Sheep aren’t as complicated as people.” It’s one of the reasons why she feels so much love for the animals.”
Sheepish looks
But the life of a sheepherder is not all roses. She’s busy, very busy. “The organization is a huge job. It really is the job of the year. The planning is especially crucial, because once the sheep are sheared, they can’t go back into the hogweed. And what exactly is it? Indeed, it growing season of the hogweed. You have to try to stay ahead of the flowering of the plant, because if the hogweed is large, it can affect the newly sheared sheep. That’s why I pushed them all over the hogweed a fortnight before shearing and then collected again. The whole organization and construction is the biggest challenge.”
Although Marleen is now in the peak period, she is always busy. “It also has to do with the fact that I can’t say no very well. Municipalities keep asking and asking. And more and more. And then I think: ‘oh, I don’t have enough sheep, then I have to have more sheep’. So now I’ve just decided that I won’t keep more than 650 sheep. And city officials shouldn’t look sheepish at me.”
Shaving as a top sport
The shepherd is concerned about how long she can keep her flock healthy. “The EU doesn’t have its affairs in order, so I can’t import rams from Wales. That’s why my blood is so high. You can’t let fathers and daughters rage with each other, then the problems will come naturally.”
Marleen doesn’t have much time to worry about that, because 650 sheep have to be sheared. Fortunately, the shearers do. “Yesterday I sheared two sheep and I feel that in my whole body. The shearers are experienced and just do it in one and a half minutes. It takes much longer for me. It really is top sport.”
Preparation for World Cup
Arjan Kaashoek is one of the four shearers of the Bladeshearnl team, which will represent the Netherlands at the World Cup in Scotland. “I’ve been shaving for eight years. I actually started as a spectator at shaving competitions and then started participating myself. It really is a sport that requires a lot of practice, just like today.”
Arjan’s aim is not to go home with a golden cup. “Of course we are amateur clippers, while many of the participants are professional clippers. So we probably won’t beat them, but it’s fun for the experience. What I really like about shaving is the challenge: trying to shave as close as possible, without too much pressure and at a nice pace. When I’m in competition mode I can shear a sheep in five minutes, but today it’s all about practice and I pay more attention to cleanliness.”
From 22 to 25 June, the Dutch team will represent our country in Scotland.