"This is for him," Herbert said as she acknowledged the win in the packed shearing pavilion at the showgrounds in Hastings, the emotion overshadowing the fact that she had also successfully defended the title she won last year.
A member of New Zealand 2010 World Champion team and hoping to be one of the pair to defend that title at the Golden Shears in Masterton in March, Herbert had a 14pt winning margin over runner-up, Manawatu farmer and New Zealand transtasman series team member Veronica (Ronnie) Goss, considerably more comfortable than the 3pts by which she got home in last year's final.
Napier shearer John Kirkpatrick, a world teams champion in 2008 and hoping to get into the shearing team for the Masterton championships, regained the glamour Great Raihania Shears Open shearing title, with a winning margin of just 0.75pts over defending champion and fellow Hawke's Bay gun Dion King.
Coveting the No 1 stand, Kirkpatrick won on speed, shearing 20 of the bigger sheep seen in a Hawke's Bay final in 17min 17sec, beating King by just over half-a-minute.
Hawke's Bay-based Northlander Matthew Smith was next off just a further five seconds adrift, but remarkably all three were more than two sheep ahead of fourth finalist and King Country icon David Fagan, who a fortnight ago won the New Zealand Spring Shears title in his last competition before turning 50.
Poverty Bay shearers cleaned-up in the other shearing events with the Senior title going to Wi Poutu Ngarangione, of Gisborne, the Intermediate title to Henare Niania, also of Gisborne, and the junior final won in a cruise by Matawai farmers' daughter Catherine Mullooly, just six days after her maiden win in Gisborne last Saturday. Cory Aramoana, of Waipawa was runner-up, heading fellow Hawke's Bay finalists Anaru Wakefield, of Porangahau, and Paraki Puna, of Napier.
Maryanne Baty, of Gisborne, won the senior woolhandling final, and Tyneil Smith, of Waipawa, won the junior final.
Raihania Shears results
Open final (20 sheep): John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 17min 17sec, 67..05pts, 1; Dion King (Napier) 17min 51sec, 67.8pts, 2; Matthew Smith (Ruawai) 17min 56sec, 71.85pts, 3; David Fagan (Te Kuiti) 20.13sec, 76.95pts, 4.
Senior final (9 sheep): Wi Poutu Ngarangione (Gisborne) 10min 16sec, 46.68pts, 1; Shelford Wilcox (Gisborne) 10min 26sec, 48.74pts, 2; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 11min 53sec, 52.65pts, 3; Tysson Hema (Waipukurau) 10min 45sec, 54.14pts, 4.
Intermediate final (4 sheep): Henare Niania (Gisborne) 6min 29sec, 35.45pts, 1; Paki Waerea (Bridge Pa) 6min 18sec, 41.15pts, Michael Rolston (Levin) 7min 14sec, 43.7pts, 3; Renata Pene (Waipawa) 6min 58sec, 46.4pts, 4.
Junior final (3 sheep): Catherine Mullooly (Matawai) 7min 39sec, 39.61pts, 1; Cory Aramoana (Waipawa) 7min 29sec, 54.45pts, 2; Anaru Wakefield (Porangahau) 7min, 56pts, 3; Paraki Puna (Napier) 8min 5sec, 60.58pts, 4.Woolhandling:
Open final: Keryn Herbert (Te Awamutu) 199pts, 1; Veronica (Ronnie) Goss (Kimbolton) 213pts, 2; Tia Potae (Milton) 213.2pts, 3; Waimiere Peneha (Masterton) 263.6pts, 4. Senior final: Maryanne Baty (Gisborne) 89.6pts, 1; Kim Sowry (Pahiatua) 102.8pts, 2; Kyle Wihongi (Hastings) 113.588pts, 3; Rangi Barakat (Waipawa) 128.412pts, 4.Junior final: Tyneil Smith (Waipawa) 134pts, 1; Erena Smith (Ruatoria) 154pts, 2; Sade Elers (Napier) 161pts, 3; Stevie Mason Smallman (Taihape) 163pts, 4.Pairs: Erana Smith (Waipawa) and Monica Potae (Tokomaru Bay) 95pts, 1; Stevie Mason Smallman (Taihape) and Tia Potae (Milton), 125pts, 2; Tina Elers (Napier) and Maureen Smith (Gisborne) 131pts, 3; Kyle Wihongi (Hastings) and Dallas Mihaere (Dannevirke), 136pts, 4.
