Smith leads Kiwi charge on UK tour

Shearing

New Zealand shearers have again mastered the best of the Northern Hemisphere by winning a test and the major individual title in the second competition of their 2013 Elders Primary Wool UK Tour.

Shearing in the only herdwick breed competition in the world at the Lakelands Shears in Cockermouth, Cumbria, Rowland Smith of Hastings, and Tony Coster of Rakaia, beat the England team of Cumbrian shearers Adam Berry and Mark Fox by 3.65 points.

Smith, winner of the Golden Shears open title in Masterton last year, also won the Lakelands Open final, denying yet another win in the event for New Zealand icon and defending champion David Fagan, who had to settle for second place, while Coster was fourth in his first final in the UK.

Berry, now a familiar face also in New Zealand each summer, was first to finish the 20 sheep in the international, taking 14m 24s and beating next-man-off and Hawke's Bay shearer Smith by 8s. A sheep behind, Coster, of Rakaia, beat Fox by 5s.

Coster, 46, in only his second competition in the Northern Hemisphere, put in a tremendous effort with his quality on the board, carding just 11 penalty strokes, for the best individual pen points of 0.55, while Smith scored best in the pen judging.

In the open final, Te Kuiti legend Fagan, 51, competing as an independent, won the race to the finish, taking 13.59 and heading Smith by 4s. Smith's superior quality, including again the best pen judging points, was enough to claim the title.

Lone English finalist Berry was third, and Coster was fourth, again averaging less than a penalty per sheep on the board.

A New Zealand selection also won an international relay, while Northland's Brya Harrison was third in the Lakelands junior final.

Smith and Coster, beaten by Scotland in the first match of an eight-test tour, meet England again at the Great Yorkshire Show this week.