Hot form delivers third title to Buick

ON A ROLL: David Buick had already won an Australian title and the Wairarapa Spring Shears final.PHOTO/FILE

Pongaroa farmer David Buick won his third open shearing final in a fortnight with victory in the Manawatu Show Shears on Saturday at Manfeild, Feilding.

In a three-man final, he beat runner-up, home-town shearer, contractor and veteran loyal show competitor Murray Henderson, by just under two points. Third was young Waipukurau shearer Tysson Hema.

Henderson, who won a New Zealand Championships senior final in Te Kuiti in 1996, has shorn in more than 30 open finals, but won just one, at Rangiwahia in 2000. Hema is yet to win a final since graduating to the top class after winning the 2012 Golden Shears and New Zealand championships senior titles.

Buick, having won the Australian Romney Shears crossbreds title in Warrnambool and then the Wairarapa Spring Shears final in the previous two weeks, had to be among the favourites for Saturday's event, and was first to finish, taking 10min 28secs for his 11 sheep and beating next-man-off Hema by 22secs.

Henderson had the best board judging points and the second-best in the pens, to get closest to Buick who plans to shear next on Friday in the New Zealand Corriedale Championships at the Canterbury Show in Christchurch, where he was fifth last year.

Joel Henare, from Gisborne, returned to winning form to beat fellow former world champions Sheree Alabaster, of Taihape, and Keryn Herbert, of Te Awamutu, by a wide margin in the open woolhandling final.

Beaten for the first time when eliminated in the semifinals of Herbert's Wairarapa show triumph last week, Henare was the quickest to the finish and scored the best points in all three aspects of woolhandling.

South Island-based Masterton shearer Ethan Pankhurst continued his outstanding form by winning the senior shearing final, taking a step closer to the now almost inevitable open classification next season.

He had won three in the South Island this season before defeat last week at the Wairarapa show. He won by almost three points from runner-up and Levin shearer Michael Rolston, a winner of the Golden Shears junior title in 2011.

Gisborne shearer Ramone Smith also completed a Warrnambool-Wairarapa-Manawatu treble by winning the intermediate final, by just 0.4pts from Tegwyn Bradley, of Woodville, while the junior final was won by Khochyce Forward, of Hastings.

Erana Smith, from Ruatoria but living in Flaxmere, won the senior woolhandling final, her second win of the season, while Sarah Sears, of Taihape, marked her second final with her first win by taking the junior woolhandling title.

Results:

Open shearing final (11 sheep): David Buick (Pongaroa) 10min 28sec, 45.3027pts, 1; Murray Henderson (Feilding) 11.15, 47.2027, 2; Tysson Hema (Waipukurau) 10.50, 49.0445 3.

Senior shearing final (6 sheep): Ethan Pankhurst (Masterton/Fairlie) 7.09, 35.6166, 1; Michael Rolston (Levin) 7.51, 38.55, 2; Scott Wilson (Scotland) 7.57, 44.0166, 3.

Intermediate shearing final (4 sheep): Ramone Smith (Gisborne) 8.05, 36.5, 1; Tegwyn Bradley (Woodville) 8.23, 36.9, 2; Michael Herlihy (Whangamomona) 7.11, 40.8, 3.

Junior shearing final (3 sheep): Khochyce Forward (Hastings) 10.41, 43.85, 1; Laura Bradley (Woodville) 10.50, 46.75, 2; Connor Puha (Apiti) 11.39, 55.2, 3.

Novice shearing final (1 sheep): Bailey Rush (Kimbolton) 6.02, 38.1, 1; Cody Craig (Shannon) 3.02, 39.1, 2; Luke Rush (Kimbolton) 5.26, 72.3, 3.

Open woolhandling final: Joel Henare (Gisborne) 133.8, 1; Sheree Alabaster (Taihape) 190, 2; Keryn Herbert (Te Awamutu) 229, 3.

Senior woolhandling final: Erana Smith (Ruatoria/Flaxmere) 199, 1; Rochelle Ashford (Feilding) 218, 2; Connor Puha (Kimbolton) 242, 3.

Junior woolhandling final: Sarah Sears (Taihape) 136, 1; Sam Tipene (Eketahuna) 136, 3; Bianca Hawea (Masterton) 207, 3.

Novice woolhandling final: Cayzer Wedd (Napier) 105.6, 1; Kayla Wildermoth (Taumarunui) 126, 2; Khochyce Forward (Hastings) 128, 3.