Final count win to Fagan

Champion woolhandler Joel Henare scored a win on home territory when he claimed the Open title on Saturday at the A&P Show. It is the 134th win of his Open career. Pictures by Paul Rickard

by Doug Laing

Te Kuiti shearer Jack Fagan sent out another warning that he is out for some big pickings on the Shearing Sports New Zealand circuit this summer when he won the Gisborne Shearing and Woolhandling Championships Open shearing final at the Poverty Bay A&P Show on Saturday.

It was the first North Island competition on a calendar of about 60 shows nationwide in the 2023-2024 season and the placing came a week after Fagan was runner-up in the New Zealand Winter Comb Championship and sixth in the Waimate Spring Shears final in the South Island.

On the Open Shearing scene for about a decade, Fagan won national titles in the New Zealand Corriedales Championship in Christchurch last November and the New Zealand Crossbred Lambs final in Winton in January, and also had several successes in the UK during the Northern Hemisphere summer.

The pace in the five-man final of 20 sheep was led by far-travelled Northland gun Toa Henderson, of Kaiwaka, who finished in 16min 38sec, almost half-a-minute before next-man-off Fagan.

But in the final count Fagan beat Masterton shearer Paerata Abraham by 0.7pts, and third place went to Eketahuna shearer Hemi Braddick, who was trying to repeat a Gisborne win of 12 months earlier, the first Open win of his career. Henderson had to settle for fourth place.

Multiple champion woolhandler Joel Henare returned to his home town to win a ninth Gisborne Open woolhandling title, and the 134th Open win of his career, spearheading a number of home-town successes on the day.

Brittany Tibble, of Gisborne, was second, the Senior and Intermediate shearing titles went to Gisborne competitors Te U Wilcox and Dylan Young respectively, and the Senior and Junior woolhandling titles also went to Gisborne competitors, Tramon Campbell and Renee Apanui respectively.

The next competition in the North Island is the Great Raihania Shears shearing and woolhandling championships on Friday at the Hawke’s Bay A&P Show in Hastings.

Results, shearing

Open final (20 sheep): Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 17min 7sec, 61.5pts, 1; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 17min 10sec, 62.2pts, 2; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 17min 41sec, 62.5pts, 3; Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 16min 38sec, 63.6pts, 4; Tama Nia Nia (Gisborne) 18min 50sec, 64.95pts, 5.

Senior final (10 sheep): Te Ua Wilcox (Gisborne) 11min 25sec, 41.75pts, 1; Bruce Grace (Wairoa) 12min 34sec, 46.9pts, 2; David Hodge (Te Puke) 13min 33sec, 52.15pts, 3; Jack Hutchison, 13min 6sec, 56.1pts, 4; Jake Williams,  11min 12sec, 58.1pts, 5.

Intermediate final (5 sheep): Dylan Young (Gisborne) 7min 28sec, 35.6pts, 1; Ryka Swann (Wairoa) 8min 25sec, 42.65pts, 2; Cheyden Winiata (Nuhaka) 8min 27sec, 45.75pts, 3; Sam Parker (Raglan) 8min 25sec, 49.25pts, 4; Matekino Puhia (Raupunga) 7min 16sec, 61.8pts, 5.

Junior final (4 sheep): Kaivah Cooper (Napier) 8min, 37.75pts, 1; Tom Kerley (Wairoa) 23min 3sec, 46.4pts, 2; Raupunga Puhia (Raupunga) 6min 18sec, 53.65pts, 3; Jodiesha Kirkpatrick (Gisborne) 11min 5sec, 54pts, 4; Roy Pomare (Gisborne) 7min 17sec, 60.1pts, 5.

Woolhandling

Open final: Joel Henare (Gisborne) 126.8pts, 1; Brittany Tibble (Gisborne) 225pts, 2; Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti) 229pts, 3; Samantha Gordon (Masterton) 266.6pts, 4.

Senior final: Tramon Campbell (Gisborne) 135pts, 1; Anne Connell (Gisborne) 164pts, 2; Rahera Kerr (Hauturu) 186pts, 3;  Te Whetu Brown (Wairoa/Napier) 187.6pts, 4.

Junior final: Renee Apanui (Gisborne) 122.8pts, 1; Jodiesha Kirkpatrick (Gisborne) 125.6pts, 2; Kelly Barrett, 127.4pts, 3; Waiari Puna (Napier) 128.4pts, 4.

Novice final: Shaquille Hauiti, 48.6pts, 1; Kalyah Ferguson (Waipawa) 57pts, 2; Layiss Atkins (Gisborne), 72pts, 3; Peti Biddle, 75.8pts, 4; Aqua Lee Ruru (Gisborne), 80.2pts, 5.