Mutch rewrites history at Golden Shears Open

Whangamomona based shearer, Gavin Mutch, has become the first shearer from overseas to win the Golden Shears Open Shearing Championship.

The Scotsman, originally from Huntly in Aberdeenshire, was crowned winner of the event in Masterton on Saturday night in front of a crowd of over 1600. The historic moment was watched by his wife Pip and their children livestreamed over the internet from their home in the Republic of Whangamomona, along with many of his friends and relatives as they ate their breakfast over 20,000kms away in Scotland.

The 36-year-old shearer says the win was made particularly sweet by the fact he achieved it before legendary Te Kuiti shearer, David Fagan, retired.

Fagan (53) was eliminated in the semi-finals, ending his bid to win a 17th Golden Shears Open title before he retires next month. Gavin says that Fagan's consistent success with the event has prevented many great shearers from achieving what he terms "the ultimate goal" in world shearing.

The 2010 winner, Cam Ferguson, of Waipawa, was also ousted in the semi-finals, leaving a unique field comprising just one former winner, Hastings shearer Dion King, in the running.

It was the first time since 2002 that there had not been at least two former winners, and the number of first-time Golden Shears Open finalist in the six-man field was the most since 1983.

Mutch first reached the Golden Shears Open final in 2005 and and this year's event was his 6th, the best previous results having been two 4th placings.

The end of the night was full of emotion, as Fagan was honoured on stage to a standing ovation marking the end of a Golden Shears career spanning 35 years. He then presented the trophy to the new kilted champion, who in an ironic twist wins a place in the New Zealand team to shear against Australia next season.

Gavin says that he is delighted to be bringing the trophy home to Whangamomona, a community that he says is fantastic in its support of him. "You wouldn't get better anywhere in New Zealand for support, it is just unreal." That support was on show on Sunday night, when the community joined Gavin and his family to celebrate the historic win with "a few drinks" at the Whangamomona Hotel.