Manawatū show shears: All in the family for Joseph Gordon and Cushla Abraham

Open champions Cushla Abraham (woolhandling) and brother Joseph Gordon (shearing), Joseph’s children Kaihatu (left) and Kawariki (right), and Cushla’s daughter, Meimarie (centre). Photo / SSNZ

Some sort of history was set when Masterton brother and sister Joseph Gordon and Cushla Abraham won the open shearing and woolhandling finals at the Manawatū and West Coast A&P Show in Feilding on Saturday.

But there was even more for the 24-year-old Gordon who, in his first season in open class — only his fourth open competition and his first open final — also formed a quinella with older brother David.

Just 0.3pts separated the pair after a four-man final of 20 short-wool hoggets, with third place going to Eketahuna shearer Hemi Braddick, who had the fastest time.

Fourth place went to Murray Henderson, an organiser of the competition and a former Golden Shears open finalist.

Henderson is now extending his place in the wool industry as a flooring specialist.

Both Abraham and David Gordon are New Zealand representatives, but the performances on the day were a sign of a changing of the guard.

It was the resurrection of the Manawatū competition after an absence of three years due to Covid-19.

Of the 11 entries in the open shearing, only three had previously won open titles, with only five wins between them, and there had been a similar success rate among the 14 in the open woolhandling.

Joseph Gordon last year reached 10 senior finals and scored two wins, despite the domination of the grade by second brother Adam, who was No 1-ranked senior nationwide in a season in which both shore in the Golden Shears senior final.

Scraping into the final, with just 0.1pts between in or out, and with wife Shyla and children Kawariki and Kaihatu in the audience, Gordon said he just wanted to shear sheep as well as he could.

When he finished he was satisfied he’d achieved that goal, the quality being more than enough to overcome any time-point deficit, with Braddick having finished almost a minute quicker.

Current form ruled in other shearing grades, with Taumarunui shearer Forde Alexander adding the senior title to a victory at the Hawke’s Bay show’s Great Raihania Shears, Gisborne farmer Dylan Young making it three, following Gisborne and Hastings wins, and Kaivah Cooper, of Napier, continued an unbeaten run in junior shows after victories at Gisborne, Hastings and the Wairarapa show in successive weeks.

The novice shearing final was won by Tatijana Keefe, who was also runner-up in the senior woolhandling final to Napier-based Te Whetu Brown.

Saturday’s junior woolhandling final was won by Napier youngster Waiari Puna, and the novice final was won by Georgia Rata, of Taumarunui.

Top shearers who were missing from the event weren’t all taking the weekend off, with at least five North Island shearers being in Western Australia competing in the Mundijong Quick Shear, in the outer suburbs of Perth, where Jack Fagan, of Te Kuiti, won the first prize of A$15,000 ($16,300).

There were 74 entries across all grades, comprising 40 in the five shearing classes and 34 in the four woolhandling classes.

Keefe had already won a senior woolhandling title this season, at Hastings.

Results of the Manawatū A&P Show shearing and woolhandling championships at Feilding on Saturday, November 3

Shearing:

Open final (20 sheep): Joseph Gordon (Masterton) 18min 23sec, 63.45pts, 1; David Gordon (Masterton) 17min 59sec, 63.8pts, 2; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 17min 28sec, 64.45pts, 3; Murray Henderson (Halcombe) 19min 32sec, 66.4pts, 4.

Senior final (12 sheep): Forde Alexander (Taumarunui) 12min 35sec, 46.6667pts, 1; Laura Bradley (Woodville) 13min 1sec, 47.9667pts, 2; Bruce Grace (Wairoa) 13min 15sec, 49pts, 3; Daniel Seed (Woodville) 12min 56sec, 55.8pts, 4.

Intermediate final (6 sheep): Dylan Young (Gisborne) 7min 17sec, 29.6833pts, 1; Tini Papanui (Feilding) 7min 29sec, 32.95pts, 2; Chayden Winiana (Nuhaka) 7min 50sec, 35.8333pts, 3; Tim Dickson (Hunterville) 8min 20sec, 37pts, 4.

Junior final (4 sheep): Kaivah Cooper (Napier) 8min 13sec, 35.15pts, 1; Marshall Buckman (Apiti) 9min 32sec, 39.85pts, 2; Lachie Cameron (Kimbolton) 10min 55sec, 42.25pts, 3; Gevo Hughes (Taumarunui) 8min 3sec, 51.15pts, 4.

Novice final (2 sheep): Tatijana Keefe (Raupunga) 6min 25sec, 34.25pts, 1; George Peacock (Dannevirke) 6min 20sec, 35.5pts, 2; Camden Bolton (Woodville) 6min 20sec, 39pts, 3; Waiari Puna (Napier) 7minn 4sec, 42.7pts, 4.

Woolhandling:

Open final: Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 255pts, 1; Nova Kumeroa (Mataura) 279pts, 2; Logan Kamura (Marton) 284pts, 3; Ngaio Hanson (Eketahuna) 301.8pts, 4.

Senior final: Te Whetu Brown (Wairoa/Napier)210pts, 1; Tatijana Keefe (Raupunga) 221pts, 2; Vinniye Phillips (Taumarunui) 251pts, 3; Amy Bell (Weber) 269pts, 4.

Junior final: Waiari Puna (Napier) 112.4pts, 1; Rahera Lewis (Taihape) 122.6pts, 2; Mere Maraki (Flaxmere) 129pts, 3; Kelly Barrett (-) 146.6pts, 4.

Novice final: Georgia Rata (Taumarunui) 100pts, 1; Kaivah Cooper (Napier) 102pts, 2; Cory Barrowcliffe (Piopio) 136pts, 3; Piata Braddick (Eketahuna) 161pts, 4.