Former world champion and seven-times Golden Shears open champion, Rowland Smith switches off after a dramatic winning performance at the Wairoa A and P Show on Saturday. Photo / SSNZ
Six leading hopes for open titles at the Golden Shears in Masterton in March have each got their new year under way confidently, with wins in one of the busiest weekends on the shearing sports calendar.
Five competitions were held from Kaikohe in the north to Winton in the south with the performances headed by farmer, shearer and six-times Golden Shears open finalist David Buick, who ventured from remote Pongaroa in northern Wairarapa to claim a national-titles double in Southland.
Buick won his first Northern Southland Community Shears national longwool championship in a woolshed near Lumsden on Friday, and a third consecutive Southland Shears national crossbred lamb shearing title at the Winton A and P Show on Saturday.
He has now won five finals this season.
Possibly the most remarkable was that of 2014 world champion and defending seven-times Golden Shears open champion Rowland Smith, of Maraekakaho, who won the Wairoa A and P Show's open title for a sixth time - despite an unscheduled hand piece change after a sheep kicked the gear clear and broke a comb tooth during the final.
Smith still managed to beat 2017 world champion and four-times Golden Shears champion John Kirkpatrick, of Pakipaki, both in the race over the 20 sheep each, and on the ultimate decider – the points.
Two-times Golden open finalist Troy Pyper travelled five hours from Cheviot to Takaka to win the Golden Bay A and P Show title, and Northland gun Toa Henderson, yet to make the Golden Shears final, won the Kaikohe AP and H Show final.
Top woolhandlers were also in on the act, with a popular and long-overdue victory for Southlander Chelsea Collie in the open woolhandling final in Lumsden.
Despite reaching many finals over the years, Collier, 33, hadn't won since a victory in her first open-grade final in Balclutha in 2005 - a New Zealand Woolhandler of the Year title that won her a place in the 2005-2006 New Zealand transtasman series team.
From Ohai, now based in Hamilton and working the current season in Masterton, Collier came third at Waimate and Hawke's Bay earlier in the season. In 2019 she reached both the Golden Shears and New Zealand Championships open finals, and the previous season she was runner-up in two national title events.
Meanwhile, it was a return to the script 24 hours later, when 2019 world teams champion Pagan Karauria successfully defended the lambs title in Winton, with her sixth win in the event.
Another big winner during the weekend was Masterton shearer Adam Gordon, who also ventured to the south to win the intermediate finals at both Lumsden and Winton, his third and fourth national titles this season.
Gordon also won intermediate titles at the New Zealand Spring championships in Waimate in October and the New Zealand Corriedale championships in a woolshed near Hanmer in November.
Aged just 20, Gordon was also the winner of the Golden Shears novice shearing and woolhandling finals just two years ago, and the No 1-ranked junior shearer nationally last season.
Gordon has more wins this season than any other competitor, being beaten just once in eight finals.
The season, cut from about 60 competitions to 49 amid the impact of the Covid-19 crisis and also sheep-supply issues, continues on Saturday with the Tapawera Sports Shears south of Nelson, and the Horowhenua AP and I Show shears in Levin on Sunday, with all eyes on the Golden Shears in Masterton on March 4-6 and the season-ending New Zealand championships in Te Kuiti on April 8-10.
Shearing Sports New Zealand Results, January 15-16, 2021
Results from the Northern Southland Community Shears at Lumsden on Friday, January 15, 2021:
Shearing:
Open final (20 sheep): David Buick (Pongaroa) 18min 28.82sec, 62.991pts, 1; Leon Samuels (Ohai) 18min 38.22sec, 63.211pts, 2; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 19min 7.34sec, 63.217pts, 3; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 19min 31.93sec, 64.5965pts, 4; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 19min 42.56sec, 67.528pts, 5.
Senior final (12 sheep): Brandon Maguire Ratima (Winton) 13min 29.19sec, 46.9595pts, 1; Kahn Culshaw (Mataura) 13min 52.5sec, 49.7083pts, 2; Ruka Braddick (Eketahuna) 14min 26.53sec, 52.0765pts, 3; Brayden Clifford (Waikaka) 16min 0.25sec, 55.9292pts, 4; Mason Adams (Lumsden) 16min 37.47sec, 57.2902pts, 5.
Intermediate final (8 sheep): Adam Gordon (Masterton) 13min 35.06sec, 45.378pts, 1; Hamish Lee (Winton) 12min 39.34sec, 48.717pts, 2; James Wilson (Ryall Bush) 14min 27.78sec, 51.639pts, 3; Harley–James Ransfield (Ohai) 12min 52.72sec, 56.011pts, 4; Jimmy Napier (Gore) 16min 10.6sec, 60.53pts, 5.
Junior final (4 sheep): Reuben King (North Canterbury) 10min 58.97sec, 47.4485pts, 1; Melissa Hamilton (Browns) 12min 39.9sec, 59.745pts, 2; Bigga Hygher (-) 12min 46.87sec, 85.5935pts, 3; Jack Gibson (-) 14min 15.66sec, 87.783pts, 4; George Taylor (-) 12min 53sec, 100.9pts, 5.
Woolhandling:
Open final: Chelsea Collier (Ohai/Hamilton) 166.474pts, 1; Monica Potae (Milton/Kennedy Bay) 170.5pts, 2; Foonie Waihape (Alexandra) 170.988pts, 3.
Senior final: Heaven Little (Balclutha) 143.16pts, 1; Cheyenne Howden (Feilding) 214.22pts, 2; Krome Elers (Mataura) 259.46pts, 3.
Junior final: Samantha Allen (Balclutha) 136.614pts, 1; Anne Cannell (Gisborne) 171.25pts, 2; Charis Morrell (Alexandra) 259.04pts, 3.
Results from the Kaikohe A.P. and H.Show shearing championships on Saturday, January 16, 2021:
Open final (12 sheep): Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 11min 12sec, 41.51pts, 1; Phil Wedd (Silverdale) 11min 31sec, 48.3pts, 2; Dan Berger (Ahuroa) 13min 47sec, 57.02pts, 3.
Senior final (7 sheep): Tama Nahora (Kaiwaka) 8min 40sec, 36.29pts, 1; Jayden Mainland (Wellsford) 8min 43sec, 37.86pts, 2; Alan Boler (Wellsford) 10min 49sec, 44.45pts, 3.
Intermediate final (3 sheep): Matthew Smith (Otorohanga) 5min 25sec, 23.92pts, 1; Kelvin Welch (Snells Beach) 5min 48sec, 30.07pts, 2; Rex Finlayson (Kai Iwi Lakes) 5min 32sec, 32.26pts, 3.
Junior final (2 sheep): Hamu Henderson (Kaiwaka) 4min 25sec, 20.75pts, 1; Gus Berger (Ahuroa) 5min 55sec, 30.75pts, 2; Paul Finlayson (Kai Iwi Lakes) 4min 2sec, 48.6pts, 3.
Novice (1 sheep): Tess Berger (Ahuroa) 3min 29sec, 18.45pts, 1; Niamh Walton (Tangiteroria) 3min 5sec, 52.67pts, 2.
Results from the Wairoa A and P Show shearing championships on Saturday, January 16, 2021:
Open final (20 sheep): Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 16min 28sec, 58.35pts, 1; John Kirkpatrick (Napier/Pakipaki) 16min 55sec, 58.8pts, 2; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 17min 22sec, 62.6pts, 3; Lachie Baynes (Wairoa/Hastings) 18min 44sec, 69pts, 4.
Senior final (11 sheep): Reuben Alabaster (Taihape) 12min 3sec, 45.15pts, 1; Keith Swann (Wairoa) 12min 19sec, 49.13pts, 2; Te Ua Wilcox (Gisborne) 12min 43sec, 49.15pts, 3; Paul Swann (Wairoa) 12min 58sec, 49.81pts, 4.
Intermediate final (6 sheep): Dylan Young (Gisborne) 8min 44sec, 36.37pts, 1; Artawhai Hadfield (Ruakituri) 10min 56sec, 44.3pts, 2; Levi King (Matawai) 9min 55sec, 46.58pts, 3; Tyson Kamo (Chatham Islands/Wairoa) 10min 50sec, 51.67pts, 4.
Junior final (4 sheep): Kyle Rhodes (Wairoa) 7min 43sec, 37.15pts, 1; James Noble-Campbell (Kinohaku) 9min 57sec, 37.85pts, 2; Henry Stewart (Feilding) 10min 45sec, 42.5pts, 3; Ryka Swann (Wairoa) 9min 37sec, 43.85pts, 4.
Veterans final (2 sheep): Ian Buchanan (Te Kuiti) 3min 14sec, 17.7pts, 1; Peter McCabe (Katikati) 4min, 18pts, 2; Graeme Roadley (Wairoa) 3min 54sec, 22.7pts, 3; Russell Dever (Wairoa) 3min 58sec, 26.9pts, 4.
Speed shear:
Open: Carlton Aranui (Raupunga) 17.03sec, 1; Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 17.36sec, 2; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 17.4sec, 3; Tama Niania (Gisborne) 18.77sec, 4.
Senior: Selwyn Tapine (Wairoa) 21.32sec, 1; Grayden Hauiti (Dannevirke) 22.17sec, 2; Hayden Thornton (Raupunga) 23.16sec, 3; Brook Hamerton (Hastings) 27.76sec, 4.
Results of the Golden Bay A and P Show shearing championships at Takaka on Saturday, January 16, 2021:
Open final (20 sheep): Troy Pyper (Cheviot) 16min 28.22sec, 1; 64.06pts, 1; Floyd Haare (Ohai) 17min 1.35sec, 65.87pts, 2; Nick Nalder (Takaka) 17min 24.72sec, 67.89pts, 3.
Open Plate (12 sheep): Chris Jones (Blenheim) 13min 56.87sec, 1; 54.69pts, 1; Enkhnasan Chuluunbaatar (Mongolia/Takaka) 14min 30.97sec, 58.8pts, 2; Frank Bint (Tapawera) 14min 7.13sec, 60.02pts, 3.
Senior final (8 sheep): Andrew Ferguson (Kaihoka) 14min 17.84sec, 47.89pts, 1; Hamish Barker (Tapawera) 13min 37.03sec, 59.85pts, 2.
Intermediate final 3 sheep): Pam Irvine (Tapawera) 8min 11.69sec, 46.25pts, 1.
Junior final (4 sheep): Timo Hicks (Tapawera) 9min 52.22sec, 47.36pts, 1; Bryce Win (Dovedale) 9min 9.47sec, 49.97pts, 2; Campbell Barker (Tapawera) 10min 12.72sec, 63.39pts, 3.
Clean shear (2 sheep): Troy Pyper (Cheviot) 2.5pts, 1; Andrew Ferguson (Kaihoka) 3pts, 2; Floyd Haare (Ohai) 6pts, 3.
Results from the Southland Shears New Zealand crossbred lambs shearing and woolhandling championships at Winton A and P Show on Saturday, January 16, 2021:
Shearing:
Open final (20 lambs): David Buick (Pongaroa) 16min 35.12sec, 59.206pts, 1; Leon Samuels (Ohai) 16min 37.75sec, 59.7875pts, 2; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 19min 17.53sec, 62.8265pts, 3; Jimmy Samuels (Marton) 17min 34.15sec, 63.5575pts, 4; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 17min 29.15sec, 63.6575pts, 5; Matene Mason (Masterton) 18min 21.43sec, 67.5715pts, 6.
Open Plate (10 lambs): Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 9min 32.43sec, 34.3215pts, 1; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 9min 20.82sec, 36.341pts, 2; Ringakaha Paewai (Gore) 10min 22.25sec, 36.9125pts, 3; Andy Mainland (Invercargill) 10min 31.06se, 37.653pts, 4; David Gordon (Masterton) 10min 10.72sec, 38.136pts, 5; Willy McSkimming (Taumarunui) 9min 16.65sec, 43.0325pts, 6.
Senior final (10lambs): Brandon Maguire Ratima (Winton) 10min 33.93sec, 40.2965pts, 1; Ruka Braddick (Eketahuna) 10min 46.47sec, 43.0235pts, 2; Kahn Culshaw (Mataura) 11min 6.91sec, 44.0455pts, 3; Chris Malcolm (Winton) 11min 42.75sec, 45.7375pts, 4; Kyle Mita (Masterton) 12min 0.19sec, 45.9095pts, 5; Pagan Karauria (Alexandra) 11min 54.29sec, 50.6145pts, 6.
Intermediate final (7 lambs): Adam Gordon (Masterton) 10min 52.09sec, 38.8902pts, 1; Hamish Lee (Winton) 10min 6.421sec, 40.8919pts, 2; Adam Webster (Winton) 9min 47.16sec, 44.358pts, 3; Wiremu Kihi (Springfield) 10min 55.9sec, 44.9379pts, 4; Blake McKenzie (Riverton) 11min 16.84sec, 48.2706pts, 5; James Wilson (Ryall Bush) 12min 45.22sec, 50.8324pts, 6.
Junior final (3 lambs): Destiny Paikea (Heriot) 6min 3.59sec, 22.8461pts, 1; Jordan White (Balclutha) 5min 54.69sec, 28.0678pts, 2; Reuben King (North Canterbury) 7min 18.44sec, 29.2553pts, 3; Harlem Haare (Ohai) 5min 26.72sec, 31.6693pts, 4; Foonie Waihape (Alexandra) 5min 37.62sec, 34.2143pts, 5; Handsome McGregor (-) 6min 20.9sec, 38.3783pts, 6.
Woolhandling:
Open final: Pagan Karauria (Alexandra) 96.53pts, 1; Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti) 123.69pts, 2; Monica Potae (Kennedy Bay/Milton) 139.41pts, 3.
Senior final: Destiny Paikea (Heriot) 47.84pts, 1; Amber Poihipi (Ohai) 49.25pts, 2; Heaven Little (Balclutha) 54.88pts, 3; Lashara Anderson 61.31pts, 4.
Junior final: Charis Morrell (Alexandra) 46.12pts, 1; Samantha Allan (Balclutha) 46.22pts, 2; Ani Mason (Turangi) 49.87pts, 3; Christina Goodwin (Gore) 59.75pts, 4.
Toa Henderson faced his international test match shearing debut at Lochearnhead Shears.