New Zealand Shears: David Buick wins open shearing final

David Buick shearing in the New Zealand Shears open final in Te Kuiti on Saturday night - less than three years after being critically injured on his Pongaroa farm. Photo / SSNZ

Wairarapa shearer David Buick has brought off possibly one of the most amazing comebacks in Kiwi sport by winning the New Zealand Shears open shearing final in Te Kuiti, less than three years after a farm accident left him fighting for his life and wondering if he would ever walk again.

The accident happened when he was crushed in a collapsing ditch during drainage excavation on his farm near Pongaroa on October 20, 2021, buried up to his chin in sodden dirt.

With complex pelvic fractures and other injuries, Buick was flown in critical condition to Palmerston North by rescue helicopter and spent months recuperating in hospital and in a retirement home in Dannevirke to be closer to wife Rebecca, son Michael and daughter Gemma.

Now known among the fraternity as “the miracle man”, he did learn to walk again, and 12 months ago in Te Kuiti shore in a father-and-son contest with Michael and surprised even himself by qualifying for the 2023 open quarterfinals.

Father and son earlier on Saturday won the 2024 whānau event, which attracted 25 family pairings, but the big hint of a miracle in the making came when Buick was third in the Golden Shears open final in Masterton on March 2 – shearing the 20 sheep in 16min 16.064sec, 21 seconds quicker than the eventual winner, Southland shearer Leon Samuels, and more than a sheep ahead of all four other finalists.

The big win came on Saturday night when he was a minute quicker, beaten to the finish only by Northland shearer Toa Henderson, who shore one of the fastest 20-sheep finals in New Zealand history in finishing in 14min 59.75sec.

The 45-year-old Buick ultimately had a winning margin of just 0.504 points, in his first win since the North Island Shearer of the Year final in Te Kuiti on April 9, 2021 - an 11th win in 2020-2021 - making him the No 1-ranked open shearer for that season.

He had also been a multiple New Zealand representative and national lambs shearing titles winner, was in August last year acclaimed a Master Shearer by Shearing Sports New Zealand, and has now won 33 finals since first appearing in the open class in 2002.

Henderson was runner-up for a second year in a row, a night after his 2023-2024 win No 13, in the North Island Shearer of the Year final, and being named No 1-ranked open shearer for the season, while third was the defending champion Samuels.

There were emotional scenes after the win was announced by arena commentator Norm Harraway, even the beaten finalists appearing as happy as the victor, who said soon afterwards he didn’t know if he’d ever had the dream of winning such a big title again after the death-defying extremes of the last two years and six months.

Read more shearing and woolhandling stories here.

But he had long harboured the “secret dream” of one day becoming the first shearer to complete a sequence of wins in all five grades at Te Kuiti, following wins in the novice grade in 1995, the junior final in 1997, the intermediate grade in 1999, and the senior final in 2002.

The back-story was first revealed publicly last year as the family became confident of a full recovery, although on Saturday night Buick said he was in wonderment as to how he had shorn better, and more successfully, than when he was “100 per cent”.

Further detail emerged in a printed championships programme feature, and in an on-the-couch interview he and Rebecca had with shearing veteran-turned-commentator Digger Balme before special guests at the shears 24 hours before the big win.

A moment's emotion from Wairarapa shearer David Buick when named the winner of the 2024 New Zealand Shears Open title in Te Kuiti on Saturday night.Photo / SSNZ

After the victory, amid wellwishers reckoning there should be a movie, Buick confirmed he would take his place in the New Zealand team in the UK this year with Te Kuiti shearer Jack Fagan.

Fagan won his place with victory in the New Zealand Shears Circuit final, an event won 17 times between 1985 and 2010 by his father, shearing legend Sir David Fagan, who is currently president of the New Zealand Shearing Championships Society and chairman of the national body Shearing Sports New Zealand.

It was also a triumphant night for Te Kuiti woolhandler and farmer Keryn Herbert who claimed the New Zealand Shears open woolhandling title, in an all-King Country trifecta, with second place going to 2013 winner Hanatia Tipene, of Te Kuiti, and third place to Miriam Haig, of Taumarunui.

It was Herbert’s 58th win in 21 years of open competition. She also won a World Teams title in 2010 and is acclaimed as a Master Woolhandler.

The senior shearing final on Saturday night completed a Golden Shears-New Zealand Shears double for Taumarunui shearer Forde Alexander – but only just.

Shearing the 12 sheep in 11min 45.23sec and beating next-man-off, Wyndham shearer Nathan Bee by 46 seconds, Alexander saw Bee’s superior quality close the gap to just 0.071 points in the final count.

Third place went to Rangiora shearer Blake Crooks, named No 1-ranked senior shearer for the season with eight wins.

Poverty Bay Angus stud manager Dylan Young won the intermediate shearing final, 29 years after father Tony Young won the shears’ senior final.

Earlier in the championships, Napier shearer Kaivah Cooper added the senior title to a Golden Shears win four weeks earlier.

The novice final was won by Abbey Grant, from Turakina, and the women’s final was won by defending champion Laura Bradley, from Papatawa, between Dannevirke and Woodville, also completing a Golden Shears-New Zealand Shears double.

In woolhandling, the senior final was won by Rahera Kerr, of Hauturu; the junior final by Rongomai Hepi, of Taumarunui, and the novice final by Arleigh Tamati, of Waitara.

On Friday night, Wales beat New Zealand for the first time in a shearing test in New Zealand, although shearers Gethin Lewis and Llyr Jones conceded a 1-2 series loss to Kiwis Paerata Abraham and David Gordon.

Results from 38th New Zealand Shears shearing and woolhandling championships

Te Kuiti, April 4-6, 2024

Shearing:

Wools of New Zealand International Shearing Series, Third Test (20 lambs): Wales (Gethin Lewis 16m 7.23s, 55.912pts, 1; Llyr Jones 16m 19.7s, 62.685pts) 119.597pts, beat New Zealand (David Gordon 16m 18.97s, 57.949pts; Paerata Abraham 15m 43.72s, 61.836pts) 119.785pts, by 0.188pts. New Zealand won the series 2-1.

New Zealand Shears Circuit final (15 sheep – 5 merino, 5 second-shear, 5 lambs): Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 16m 50.69s, 67.535pts, 1; Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 16m 11.63s, 68.248pts, 2; Leon Samuels (Invercargill/Roxburgh) 16m 30.23s, 70.246pts, 3; Matene Mason (Masterton) 18m 11.61s, 72.848pts, 4; David Gordon (Masterton) 18m 21.95s, 73.232pts, 5; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 18m 1.91s, 73.563pts, 6.

North Island Shearer of the Year final (20 sheep – 10 ewes, 10 lambs): Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 14m 47.84s, 55.642pts, 1; David Buick (Pongaroa) 15m 11.92s, 56.446pts, 2; David Gordon (Masterton) 15m 58.06s, 56.553pts, 3; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 16m 8.44s, 58.122pts, 4; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 17m 3.02s, 58.501pts, 5; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 15m 14.69s, 63.535pts, 6.

New Zealand Shears open final (20 sheep): David Buick (Pongaroa) 15m 16.67s, 53.734pts, 1; Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 14m 59.75s, 54.238pts, 2; Leon Samuels (Invercargill/Roxburgh) 15m 24.5s, 54.675pts, 3; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 15m 35.52s, 54.826pts, 4; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 16m 53.73s, 57.737pts, 5; Reuben Alabaster (Taihape) 16m 38.63s, 58.632pts, 6.

New Zealand Shears Open Plate (10 sheep): Brett Roberts (Mataura) 9m 10.52s, 34.126pts, 1; David Gordon (Masterton) 9m 9.81s, 35.791pts, 2; Dean Ball (Te Kuiti) 9m 51.55s, 36.778pts, 3; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 9m 29.13s, 37.657pts, 4; James Ruki (Te Kuiti) 9m 46.13s, 37.707pts, 5; Digger Balme (Otorohanga) 8m 2.58s, 52.529pts, 6.

New Zealand Shears senior final (12 sheep): Forde Alexander (Taumarunui) 11m 45.23s, 46.179pts, 1; Nathan Bee (Invercargill) 12m 31.66s, 46.25pts, 2; Blake Crooks (Rangiora) 13m 5.52s, 47.109pts, 3; Te Ua Wilcox (Gisborne 13m 14.72s, 47.153pts, 4; Kapua Brown (Taumarunui) 12m 8.84s, 47.775pts, 5; Sean Fagan (Te Kuiti) 12m 39.73s, 47.904pts, 6.

New Zealand Shears intermediate final (8 sheep): Dylan Young (Gisborne) 10m 28.13s, 38.782pts, 1; Ethan Fladgate (Te Awamutu) 10m 30.53s, 39.027pts, 2; Emma Martin (Wyndham) 11m 15.34s, 41.142pts, 3; Blake Mitchell (Patea) 9m 35.94s, 41.172pts, 4; Josh Balme (Otorohanga) 12m 42.34s, 44.367pts, 5; Duncan Adams (Scotland) 11m 29.52s, 45.851pts, 6.

New Zealand Shears junior final (5 sheep): Kaivah Cooper (Napier) 7m 18.56s, 27.528pts, 1; Lachie Cameron (Pohangina) 7m 51.98s, 29.799pts, 2; Jet Schimanski (Gore) 7m 45.78s, 31.289pts, 3; George Peacock (Dannevirke) 7m 43,78s, 34.189pts, 4; Tom Clarkson (Martinbotough) 8m 30.31s, 35.316pts, 5; Tessa Berger (Ahuroa) 9m 55.75s, 43.988pts, 6.

New Zealand Shears novice final (2 sheep): Abbey Grant (Turakina) 6m 25.3s, 31.765pts, 1; Mack Belton (Whanganui) 6m 0.52s, 35.526pts, 2; Rebecca Dickson (Hunterville) 9m 14.42s, 36.221pts, 3; Shawna Swann (Wairoa) 6m 23.47s, 37.174pts, 4; Jess Parkhouse (Napier) 5m 17.44s, 41.872pts, 5; Holly Bird (Taihape) 9m 20.06s, 46.503pts, 6.

New Zealand Shears women’s final (6 sheep): Laura Bradley (Papatawa) 6m 10.25s, 25.513pts, 1; Catherine Mullooly (Matawai) 7m 18.81s, 30.941pts, 2; Danielle Mauger (Mullalyup, W.A.) 9m 0.02s, 32.501pts, 3; Lydia Thomson (Rangiora) 8m 50.86s, 32.876pts, 4; Emma Martin (Wyndham) 8m 35.66s, 33.616pts, 5; Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 9m 25.53s, 41.943pts, 6.

Open challenger (10 sheep): Chris Dickson (Masterton) 8m 34.34s, 35.317pts, 1; Ricci Stevens (Napier) 9m 24.61s, 35.731pts, 2; Jimmy Samuels (Marton) 8m 14.89s, 36.645pts, 3; Floyde Neil (Taumarunui/Boyup Brook, W.A.) 8m 19.17s, 38.759pts, 4; Lyr Jones, Llanrwst, Wales) 8m 33.56s, 39.678pts, 5; Paraki Puna (Napier) 9m 37.53s, 41.077pts, 6.

Development Teams Challenge (4 sheep): Canterbury (Blake Crooks 4m 34.19s, 19.71pts; Emma Martin 6m 13.42s, 23.421pts; Reuben King 5m 22,27s, 27.864pts) 70.995pts, beat King Country (Forde Alexander 4m 43.81s, 19.191pts; Josh Balme 6m 6.31s, 26.816pts; Kapua Brown 4m 27.95s, 27.148pts) 73.155pts.

Whānau teams (6 sheep): David and Michael Buick (Pongaroa) 6m 53.47s, 26.507pts, 1; Digger and Josh Balme (Otorohanga) 7m 8.81s, 27.774pts, 2; Riki and Reuben Alabaster (Taihape) 6m 32.03s, 28.102pts, 3; Dawson and Daniel Biggs (Mangamahu) 6m 27.36s, 28.368pts, 4; Mike and Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 6m 47.81s, 28.724pts, 5; James and Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 7m 9.16s, 29.958pts, 6.

Open speed shear final (2 sheep): Jimmy Samuels (Marton) 48.88s, 1; Reuben Alabaster (Taihape) 50.08s, 2; Hugh De Lacy (Rangiora) 52.77s, 3; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 54.81s, 4.

Senior speed shear final (1 sheep): Blake Crooks (Rangiora) 26.81s, 1; Josh Chrystal (Napier/Ohakune) 29.47s, 2; Mitchell Menzies (Amberley/Eketahuna) 30.02s, 3; Sean Fagan (Te Kuiti) 32.75s, 4.

Woolhandling:

Open final (6 sheep): Keryn Herbert(Te Kuiti) 54.62pts, 1; Hanatia Tipene (Te Kuiti) 83.562pts, 2; Miriam Haig (Taumarunui) 89.618pts, 3; Jasmin Tipoki (Napier) 90.742pts, 4; Chelsea Collier (Hamilton) 101.688pts, 5.

Senior final: Rahera Kerr (Hauturu) 58.4pts, 1; Vinniye Phillips (Taumarunui) 68.356pts, 1; Amy Bell (Weber) 80.006pts, 3; Saskia Tuhakaraina (Gore) 82.8pts, 4; Whakapunake (Naki) Maraki (Flaxmere) 118.914pts, 5.

Junior final: Rongomai Hepi (Taumarunui) 70.97pts, 1; Rahera Lewis (Taihape) 89.57pts, 2; Makayla Neil (Piopio) 95.944pts, 3; Mere Maraki (Flaxmere) 104pts, 4; Jayda Milanta (Tauranga) 112.81pts, 5.

Novice final: Arleigh Tamati (Taranaki) 58.6pts, 1; Sophia Humphrey (Masterton) 63.82pts, 2; Ngawai Barker (Te Awamutu) 67.75pts, 3; Ohomairangi Ngatai-Hewitt (Te Kuiti) 91.77pts, 4; Aylah Paul (Taumarunui) 95.31pts, 5.

Inter-Island shearing and woolhandling: South Island (shearers Nathan Stratford, Brett Roberts, Leon Samuels; woolhandlers Chelsea Collier, Monic Potae, Charis Morrell) 165pts beat North Island (shearer Toa Henderson, Paerata Abraham, David Buick; woolhandlers Jasmin Tipoki, Hanatia Tipene, Miriam Haig) 197pts.