Toa Henderson (right) just pips Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Dannevirke) for time honours in a 20 sheep Pahitua Shears Open final, Henderson the only one to go under 16 minutes.
Toa Henderson (right) just pips Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Dannevirke) for time honours in a 20 sheep Pahitua Shears Open final, Henderson the only one to go under 16 minutes.
Pahiatua Shears was third time lucky to finally celebrate its 50th anniversary on Sunday, February 26, after being cancelled for the last two years due to Covid.
Under the watchful eye of chairman Flash (Gordon) Duxfield, foundation committee members Philip Morrison and Dave Wolland cut the 50th-anniversary cake.
ToaHenderson, of Kaiwaka, scored his third win in three weeks over Hawke’s Bay-based Rowland Smith when he won a six-man Pahiatua Shears Open final in the Fouhy family woolshed in the Mangaone Valley southwest of Pahiatua.
The 32-year-old, who has never shorn in a Golden Shears Open final but who has now won seven finals in the 2022-2023 season, blasted through the 20 second-shear sheep in 15min 58.66sec and held on to the quality to beat runner-up Smith by 0.695 points, having beaten Smith by half-a-point in the Atia Sports Shears Open final on Waitangi Day, and winning the Otago Shears final five days later, when Smith was fourth.
Foundation committee members Philip Morrison and Dave Wolland cutting the 50th anniversary cake.
Henderson also won Friday’s Taumarunui Shears Open final, which was missing both Smith and fellow multiple Golden Shears Open winner and fellow former world champion John Kirkpatrick, both working on Cyclone Gabrielle damage to their respective properties near Hastings.
The runner-up was 2102 world champion Gavin Mutch, from Scotland but farming in Hawke’s Bay, while there was a remarkable effort from Otorohanga’s Digger Balme, backing up from a recent win at Te Puke to finish third - still making it in his 37th season of Open-class shearing.
Smith in the meantime beat Henderson in the Apiti Sports Shears final on Saturday, and Kirkpatrick put in a startling effort for third the next day at Pahiatua.
King Country shearer Clay Harris continued a winning season with victories in the Taumarunui and Apiti senior finals but missed a place in the top six for the Pahiatua senior final, which was won by Adam Gordon, of Masterton.
The intermediate wins were shared by Taelor Tarrant, winning at his home Taumarunui show, young England shearer Callum Bosley claiming the Apiti title, and Balclutha’s Will Sinclair triumphing at the Pahiatua Shears.
The junior titles were also sheared, with Jake Goldsbury, of Waitotara, winning at Taumarunui, with further South Island success in wins to Northern Southland shearers Cody Waihape and Emma Martin at Apiti and Pahiatua respectively.
The Taumarunui novice final was won by local Maaka Power, with the Apiti and Pahiatua finals both won by Taihape’s Trent Alabaster, now following in the footsteps of brother Reuben, a successful competitor through the grades and who in December set a world lamb shearing record.
At Apiri, the third and fourth placings went to Eketahuna sisters Emaraina Eruera and Marika Braddick.
There were 122 competitors at the shearing-only Pahiatua Shears.
All the officials and volunteers for Pahiatua Shears.
■ Results of the 50th Anniversary Pahiatua Shears at Fouhy Family Farm, Mangaone Valley Rd, Pahiatua, on Sunday, February 26:
Open final (20 sheep): Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 15min 58.66sec, 56.483pts, 1; Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 16min 30.56sec, 57.178pts, 2; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Dannevirke) 16min 2.73sec, 59.987pts, 3; John Kirkpatrick (Pakipaki) 17min 53.02sec, 60.501pts, 4; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 18min 2.69sec, 61.235pts, 5; Aaron Haynes (Feilding) 18min 20.7sec, 62.435pts, 6.
Senior final (10 sheep): Adam Gordon (Masterton) 10min 9.34sec, 36.767pts, 1; Joseph Gordon (Masterton) 10min 13.51sec, 38.976pts, 2; Paul Swann (Wairoa) 10min 45.31sec, 39.966pts, 3; Daniel Biggs (Mangamahu) 10min 39.82sec, 39.991pts, 4; Cory Barrowcliffe (Piopio) 11min 43.04sec, 41.652pts, 5; Daniel Seed (Tokoroa) 11min 19.42sec, 44.271pts, 6.
Intermediate final (6 sheep): Will Sinclair (Balclutha) 7min 38.95sec, 27.948pts, 1; Sean Fagan (Te Kuiti) 7min 21.65sec, 30.416pts, 2; Bruce Grace (Wairoa) 8min 2.85sec, 31.81pts, 3; Dylan Young (Gisborne) 7min 55.81sec, 31.958pts, 4; Dalton Tangiwai (Pahiatua) 9min 8.48sec, 35.257pts, 5; Matthew Smith (Otorohanga) 8min 42.23sec, 36.279pts, 6.
Junior final (5 sheep): Emma Martin (Gore) 8min 53.32sec, 32.066pts, 1; Jake Goldsbury (Waitotara) 7min 15.28sec, 32.564pts, 2; Daniel Rogers (Eketahuna) 8min 18.22sec, 33.511pts, 3; Lydia Thomson (Rangiora) 9min 7.44sec, 36.372pts, 4; Cody Waihape (Mataura) 8min 10.26sec, 36.513pts, 5; Pat Corrigan (Ireland) 9min 33.25sec, 38.263pts, 6.
