Rookie comes so close to Shears win

Ronnie Eriha never considered pressing bales of wool could be a sport. Photo / Supplied

A rookie competition woolpresser from Hastings came close to breaking a Golden Shears dynasty when he reached the final of the men's woolpressing in Masterton on Friday night.

Although he is 43 and "grew-up in the woolsheds," Ronnie Eriha never considered pressing bales of wool could be a sport until he was pushed, competing for the first time on Thursday and being in the Golden Shears final less than 30 hours later.

He knew he was up against it " fellow finalist Jeremy Goodger of Masterton had won the title 11 times since 2002, including nine times in a row until last year when it was won by brother Vinnie Goodger.

In a contest involving speed, strength and precision, Eriha was beaten for time, pulled back some of the points deficit by pressing his bale just 2.5kg over the target of 170kg, but ultimately had to settle for second place.

He said afterwards he gave up working in the woolsheds for 13 years and worked in factories for 13 years " at Whakatu Petfoods and at Wattie's.

Having had enough of it, the chance to get back to woolpressing came up. He grabbed it and he said: "Now I've realised I should have stayed there in the first place."

Boss Colin Watson Paul of Hastings contractors ShearingNZ pushed him to consider competing.

He started doing things he never thought possible, like running a 10km leg in the IronMaori, but he did not like the idea of woolpressing in front of a crowd.

"To me it was a job," he said.

But his confidence began to grow from last Tuesday, when he went to a competition woolpressing course, and for the first time met the master Goodger, one of the instructors.

The last word went to Goodger, who after being named winner congratulated Eriha and said he looked forward to seeing him at the Golden Shears again next year.

Eriha's placing was one of several for Hawke's Bay competitors, although none won any of the events at the Golden Shears this year.

Dion King of Hastings was first to finish the 20-sheep open shearing final, which was missing legendary Te Kuiti shearer David Fagan, who in his swansong year was eliminated in the semifinals of the two major shearing events. But when all points were counted, King had to settle for 4th place in the event, which produced had its first winner from overseas in Taranaki farmer and Scottish shearer Gavin Mutch.

Waipawa's Cam Ferguson, having also been eliminated in the Open championship semifinals, was runner-up in the PGG Wrightson National Circuit final, which was won for a fourth time by Tony Coster of Rakaia.

In other shearing events, Lachie Baynes, of Wairoa, was fifth in the YFC Blue Ribbon final, won by Manawatu shearer and eventual Golden Shears Open runner-up Aaron Haynes.

Erana Smith, living in Hastings but from Ruatoria, was runner-up in the senior woolhandling final. Ash Boyce of Dannevirke and Peketai Puna of Napier were third and fourth respectively in the junior woolhandling final.

Former Dannevirke shearer Paerata Abraham, now of Masterton, won the opening night Speedshear on Thursday. Welsh shearer Ash Jones, who arrived in Napier last November to work for a local contractor, won the Golden Shears junior shearing final, emulating the feat of fellow Welshman Hefin Rowlands, who won last year, having also honed his skills in the Bay.