Gizzy placings at national champs

Open champs: Maraekakaho’s Rowland Smith (left) took out the open shearing title at the New Zealand championships in Te Kuiti on Saturday night, with Taihape’s Sheree Alabaster the open champion woolhandler. Picture supplied

?GISBORNE/ Motueka woolhandler Joel Henare finished the open division of the New Zealand championships at Te Kuiti on Saturday in third place.

Gisborne and Wairoa shearers also placed highly in the open plate, senior and junior finals.

Henare finished behind Sheree Alabaster (Taihape) 81.432 points, and Logan Kamura (Marton) 90.12 with a his score 94.976.

Gisborne’s Tama Niania finished runner-up in the “open plate” close behind Brett Roberts (Mataura) who scored 9min 47.48sec, 38.274pts, with Niania’s score 9min 38.91sec, 39.546.

In the senior final Matawai’s Catherine Mullooly also finished runner-up.

She was second to Ricci Stevens (Napier) 13min 58.38sec, 53.586pts. Mullooly scored 14min 31.28sec, 54.731.

Wairoa’s Keith Swann finished third in the junior final.

The open shearing final was won by Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 16min 2.67sec, 56.434pts, ahead of John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 16min 2.67sec, 57.284.

Other results: Contractors Relay (8 sheep): Barrowcliffe No 1 (Kaleb Foote, Craig Fagan, Catherine Mullooly) 11min 23.21sec, 46.061pts, 1.

Senior Speedshear: Paul Swann (Wairoa) 27.84sec, 4.

Inter-Island Teams Challenge (6 second-shear sheep per shearer): North Island (shearers Rowland Smith, John Kirkpatrick, David Buick; woolhandlers Eramiha Neho, Hanatia Tipene, Sheree Alabaster) 255pts beat South Island (shearers Andy Mainland, Nathan Stratford, Shaun Mathieson; woolhandlers Joel Henare, Pagan Karauria, Chelsea Collier) 310pts.