A collection of some of the best shearers in the world and their followers helped holiday crowds in Porangahau swell to many times the Southern Hawke's Bay coastal town's usual size this week.
The big winner was local gun Rodney Sutton who won the open final with a $2000 first prize,
beating world champion Cam Ferguson, of Waipawa. Third was the winner's brother, Tony Sutton, and fourth Dannevirke shearer Adam Brausch.
Waipukurau's Hayzlee Gray won the senior event, from Patrick Duncan, Matene Mason and Paki Waerea, with Ted Kuru claiming the Ratima Waihape Memorial Trophy for fastest Porangahau shearer in the class, while the junior and farmers class was won by Willy Jones. Andrew Martin was second and also won the Wakefield Family Plate as fastest junior, while Tuip Pene was third and Golden Shears novice champion David Gordon fourth.
The event's unique fleece throw was won by open-class shearer Harvey Pairama from partner and senior class competition woolhandler Ngahuia Thwaites, with Kohine Thompson third.
There to capture a few of the faces in the Speedshear at the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel on Wednesday was Hawke's Bay Today photographer Duncan Brown.
