Commentator Tuma Mullins (left) with Rowland Smith at the Dannevirke A&P Show shearing prizegiving, after Smith won the open final for the seventh time. Photo / Joanne Crawford
Commentator Tuma Mullins (left) with Rowland Smith at the Dannevirke A&P Show shearing prizegiving, after Smith won the open final for the seventh time. Photo / Joanne Crawford
Champion Hawke’s Bay shearer Rowland Smith heralded his return to competition by winning the Dannevirke A&P Show open final on Friday.
Although the Northland shearer was last to finish in the four-man final over 20 sheep, his quality turned out to be a winner on the day, although by just 0.15 points from runner-up, and current Northland hope, Toa Henderson.
It was Smith’s seventh Dannevirke win in the last eight years it’s been contested.
His win came just four weeks before a now-anticipated return to Masterton to defend the Golden Shears open title he’s won eight times in the nine years it’s been contested since his first win in the major event in 2013.
In his 18th season in the open class, Smith has won at least 177 finals, including the 2014 world title in Ireland.
In other shearing events, Te Ua Wilcox, of Gisborne, continued on a winning way in the senior final.
Meanwhile, young West Australian shearer Danielle Mauger won the intermediate final by more than four points from runner-up Rhys Morris, from Wales, edging out first New Zealand shearer and third-placegetter Tini Papanui, of Feilding, by 0.15 points.
The junior final was won by Marshall Buckman, of Apiti, and the novice final by Irish shearer Kevin Noone.
New Zealand and Cook Islands World Championships representative Keryn Herbert, of Te Kūiti, backed up from a win at Taihape to win the Dannevirke open woolhandling title for the third time, having won previously in 2009 and 2014.
Second was Hawke’s Bay show winner Ngaira Puha, of Kimbolton, and third was Ricci Stevens, of Napier, husband of 2020 Dannevirke open winner Angela Stevens.
The senior woolhandling final was won by Te Whetu Brown, from Wairoa, the junior by Palmerston North nurse Eleri Bradley and the novice by Gemma Buick, of Pongaroa.
The championships attracted a big base of 201 entries, comprising 135 shearers and 66 woolhandlers, a small number competing in both shearing and woolhandling, and most of them moving on to the Rangitīkei Shearing Sports North Island Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Marton on Saturday.
Dannevirke A&P show shearing prizegiving - commentator Tuma Mullins (left) and shearing open final winner Rowland Smith. Photo / Joanne Crawford
Dannevirke A&P Show Shearing and Woolhandling Championships
Friday, February 2, 2024
Shearing
Open final (20 sheep): Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 16m 34s, 57.6pts, 1; Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 15m 40s, 57.75pts, 2; Hemi Braddick (Eketāhuna) 16m 1s, 59.85s, 3; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Dannevirke) 16m 1s, 66pts, 4.
Senior final (10 sheep): Te Ua Wilcox (Gisborne) 9m 45s, 39.35pts, 1; Laura Bradley (Papatawa)10m 9s, 40.55pts, 2; Bruce Grace (Wairoa/Napier) 10m 43s, 41.45pts, 3; Forde Alexander (Taumarunui) 9m 37s, 41.95pts, 4.
