Shearing: New Zealand beat France in rare continental test

The prizegiving line-up after the Wools of New Zealand Shearing Sports New Zealand team in a shearing test match at Martel, France, on July 12, 2024. Photo / Supplied.

The Wools of New Zealand Shearing Sports New Zealand shearing team has scored its second double on a six-match tour of the UK and Europe.

The latest successes came at the French championships, in the medieval southwest France town of Martel where shearers David Buick, of Pongaroa, and Jack Fagan, of Te Kuiti, beat the French team of brothers Gilles and Pierre Grancher in a rare New Zealand test on the continent.

Fagan had also won the French final in 2016 and 2017, following his father Sir David Fagan’s exit from 33 years in open-class shearing with victory in the event in 2015.

The wins today came just two days after a similar double at the Great Yorkshire Show, which included a win over the English team of Adam Berry and Nick Greaves

The Kiwis have now won two of the first three tests on the annual northern tour, culminating with a three-test series against Wales, at the Cothi Shears next Saturday, the Royal Welsh Show on July 24, and the Corwen Shears on July 27.

Both the test and the open final, of 20 sheep each, were exciting spectacles as Fagan and Pierre Grancher, from Creuse in Central France, battled for the time honours, finishing almost blow for blow.

Grancher was first-off in the test, winning the race by four seconds from Fagan and shearing the 20 sheep in 14m 6s, but the King Country shearer had the best quality points and claimed individual honours by 6.6 of the Kiwis’ winning margin of 8.65pts.

It was much closer in the open final, in which Fagan again posted the better quality points, but was also first-off - his 13m 24s pipping Grancher by just two seconds, but claiming the overall win by just 1.2pts.

Team manager Mark Barrowcliffe, of Piopio, said the events and Fagan’s experience on the “tricky little sheep” paid dividends.

The sheep were the French breed Caussenade du Lot.

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A regular in France and a fluent French speaker, Fagan has now won 22 open finals, along with claiming 63 speed shear victories.

Results:

International (20 sheep): New Zealand (Jack Fagan 14m 10s, 52.25pts; David Buick 14m 26s, 61.95pts) 114.2pts beat France (Pierre Grancher 14m 6s, 58.65pts; Gilles Grancher 15m 32s, 64.2ptspts) 122.85pts.

French all-nations open final (20 sheep): Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti, NZ) 13m 24s, 49pts, 1; Pierre Grancher (Creuse, Central France) 13m 26s, 50.2pts, 2; Jeremy Leygonie Martel, Southwest France) 14m 12s, 53.3pts, 3; Gilles Grancher (Alpes, Southeast France) 14m 41s, 53.35pts, 4.