Family 'gangs' rule shears ranks

The Golden Shears got under way in Masterton yesterday with a mix of families high on the list of potential winners at this classic event, which was first held in 1961.
Heading thelist are the Goss family from Kimbolton, in Manawatu, with mother and former open woolhandling champion Ronnie and two shearing offspring in daughter Sarah and son Simon all leading contenders in their respective competitions.
A second daughter, Rachel, is making her Golden Shears debut as a junior woolhandler.
Sarah Goss was runner-up in the 2007 novice shearing final and third in the junior class last year and has been in impressive form in intermediate events around the North Island this season, chalking up wins and minor placings. She will be trying to emulate the feat of her father Alan, who won the 1985 Golden Shears intermediate final.
Simon Goss is in the junior grade this year and will be hoping to go one better than he did in 2009 when second in the novice class.
Ronnie Goss' niece, scoring system official Raelene Kirkpatrick, from Napier, will be watching her husband, John, try to win the Golden Shears open title for a third time on Saturday night. The Kirkpatricks will be keeping a close eye, too, on the debut efforts of daughters Mary and Angela in the junior woolhandling.
The Guy family from Kaeo, in Northland, brings a gang of five to Masterton, with the best prospects for victory perhaps, being 2009 intermediate shearing champion Bevan, now competing in the senior competition and with winning form behind him, and younger brother Bryce, who is hoping to make his first appearance in a Golden Shears final in the junior grade.
Lance Guy is in the intermediate competition while up-and-comers Charlie and Marshall contest the novice event.
Masterton's Gordon family are sure to make their presence felt. Brother and sister Cushla and David have already tasted success at Golden Shears, Cushla winning the novice grade in 2008 and David, at 14, becoming the youngest Golden Shears champion when he won that title last year. They are now chasing the intermediate and junior shearing titles, respectively. and sister Samantha is in the junior woolhandling. Don't forget father Nuki, who is always a gritty competitor in the open grade.
John Kirkpatrick is not the only open title contender with children competing at the championships. Jack Fagan, the son of King Country legend David Fagan, is favourite to win the intermediate title and 2008 world champion Paul Avery will watch son David in the junior grade.
Open grade "bolter" Rowland Smith, from Ruawai in the Far North,whose TAB odds dropped dramatically, will have two brothers joining him in the open heats, former open plate winner Matthew and world record-breaker Doug.