Tomerong choppers to be star attractions at Royal Easter show

Next month, two of the town’s best choppers will head to the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

Steve McKinnon will tackle the axe while Lindsay Parnell battles with the microphone.

Mr Parnell is a veteran of the Royal Easter Show and at 54 is far from retired.

His role at the show is slightly different these days as he exchanges the Dunlop Volleys and blue singlet for a comfy seat behind the microphone.

For the second time Mr Parnell will take the role of the official announcer after he was approached by the Show Society last year.

“I’ve been the president of the NSW Axemen Association for a while as well as organising local events, so they asked me to come and help out,” he said.

“I’ve been going there for years and they needed someone with good knowledge of woodchopping as well as the competitors.”

Despite his sound knowledge, Mr Parnell admitted the gig was a bit daunting at first.

“I had only announced local shows before so the first couple of days were a bit hard,” he said.

“There were a few new faces who I didn’t know much about but the hardest part was trying to pronounce the names of two French competitors we had last year.”

The beef farmer has been chopping for 35 years, and while he’s had his fair share of triumphs and injuries, the end is nowhere is sight.

A few toes are a bit shorter than they once were and a long scar on his hand reminds him of an accident in 1984.

“Two days before the Sydney show I was chopping and the axe handle flew off, I got 14 stitches in my hand,” he said.

“It was pretty devastating because I was going really well and would have won something for sure - I went to the show and watched instead.”

Despite denying himself of a win, Mr Parnell still has 10 butchers blocks to his name and defended the event for three years running. He was also the reserve world champion in the double-handed saw.

“Winning three butchers blocks three years in a row with Tasmanian Lofty Gruae is probably the highlight for me,” he said.

“I’m still chopping now - at other shows in Brisbane and Adelaide - and I competed at Milton last weekend.

“I think it’s the mateship and travelling all over the place that I enjoy the most.”

Just down the road from Lindsay you’ll find Steve McKinnon, the Rural Fire Service support services supervisor and a passionate woodchopper.

For 17 years Mr McKinnon has been chopping at the show, which he calls “the Wimbledon of woodchopping”.

“There is always a good crowd at Sydney, it builds up and it’s great to compete in front of all those people,” he said.

“Woodchopping is a big part of my heritage, my father and brothers were all into it and it’s a great traditional sport.”

In 1998 the show was held at Homebush for the first time, a year Mr McKinnon will never forget.

“Any win is a highlight but that first final win in the open tree felling handicap at Sydney show in 1998 was a big win for me,” he said.

“I also won a tree felling state title in 2000 and I’ve won a couple of butchers blocks over the years too.”

This year Mr McKinnon will compete in the standing block, underhand, tree felling and butchers block.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show woodchopping competition runs from April 1-11.