Three brothers from Northland have achieved a possible first in qualifying for the final stage of one of New Zealand's premier shearing competitions.
Doug, Matt and Rowland Smith, who hail from Ruawai but shear mainly in Hawke's Bay, are among the 12 for the PGG Wrightson National showdown on Saturday,the last day of the 52nd Golden Shears which start in Masterton today.
No other trio of brothers is thought to have reached the finals in the 40 years of the national competition dating back to the introduction of the McSkimming Memorial Triple Crown in 1973.
It was a close call for Doug Smith who just scraped through at Pahiatua on Sunday in the last of five qualifying rounds, ejecting former finalist Grant Smith, of Rakaia.
The 12 are headed by West Coast shearer Jason Win going into two heats on Saturday morning; the number being cut to six for the grand final.
Rakaia shearer Tony Cost, going for a fourth national final victory in a row, qualified in seventh place with 2012 runner-up Angus Moore next in a field that includes six from the North Island and six from the South.
Shearers amassed points on varying wool types at Alexandra (finewool merino), Waimate (crossbred longwool), Christchurch (coarse-woolled Corriedale), second-shear and lambs, but on Saturday revert to speed and quality points.
Qualifiers in order are: Jason Win (Ikamatua), Matt Smith (Ruawai), Nathan Stratford (Invercargill), David Fagan (Te Kuiti), James Fagan (Te Kuiti), Rowland Smith (Ruawai), Tony Coster (Rakaia), Angus Moore (Ward), Kevin Hessell (Pleasant Pt), Aaron Haynes (Feilding), Darin Forde (Winton) and Doug Smith (Ruawai).
