Crossbred sheep ready for shearing at the Pyramids woolshed, Waihopai Valley, Marlborough.

Marlborough shearer Sarah Higgins is lugging a big, fat composite ewe from the holding pen to be shorn.

Sweat is pouring down her face as the sheep lies motionless on the floor as she quickly removes the fleece with a number of swift strokes from the handpiece.

Hauling more than 150 sheep a day across the boards on their haunches is a passion for the former Havelock farm girl.

SCOTT HAMMOND/FAIRFAX NZ Higgins finishes another sheep after a long day in the shearing shed.

On this day she is helping out shearing mentor Chris Jones at a three stand shed at Chris Dawkins' property The Pyramid in the Waihopai Valley, 30 kilometres from Blenheim.

Sarah is fast making her name among the rural community as a clean and efficient shearer.

She was introduced to shearing by her mother, Fiona, and began working as wool classer as a holiday job between school and university terms.

SCOTT HAMMOND/FAIRFAX NZ Blenheim shearer Sarah Higgins relaxes after a hard day of work.

Two years ago, at shearing's pinnacle showpiece, the Golden Shears, Sarah won the junior wool handlers title.

She followed up this year by winning the novice shearer's title at the same event, becoming the first person, male or female, to win both titles.

"I won by being the fastest and the cleanest," she says.

Now 23-years-old, with a bachelor of commerce degree from Lincoln University behind her, she sees her future among sheep and shearers.

"I worked for a wool exporter in Christchurch for six months after I graduated but I couldn't handle office work, I like the outdoors."

The following 18 months she worked wool handling and shearing in England, Germany and South Australia.

Back in Marlborough she has two immediate goals to reach in the next six months.

The first is to shear 200 sheep a day which she hoped will be achieved this summer.

In April she will take over Chris Jones' shearing contracting business, becoming one of only a handful of women shearers in the country to run their own shearing gang.

"I really like working with sheep, and the hard physical work of shearing, and the mental challenges that come with the job, " she says.

"Sometimes near the end of the day you think to yourself 'why am I doing this, it's so hard.'

"But when you finish you have a huge sense of achievement."

There is also the friendships made.

"If you are a woman shearer you are treated the same as anyone else.

"The people you work with become like a second family, they look out for each other."

"Sarah has the right attitude, and a lot of potential, " Chris Jones says.

"She's obsessed with shearing."