Shearing: John Kirkpatrick wins again in Southland

Napier shearer John Kirkpatrick crowned a return to Southland where he won the World Championship last year by winning the New Zealand crossbred lambshearing title at the Winton A and P Show on Saturday.

It was the veteran Hawke's Bay gun's first win in New Zealand since he won the World title in Invercargill on February 11 last year.

But it was a different story for prolific-winning Motueka-based World champion woolhandler Joel Henare, from Gisborne, who, having won the Northern Southland Community Shears longwool title on Friday had to content with third place in his defence of the lambshearing championships title which was reclaimed by 2014, 2015 and 2016 winner Pagan Karauria, of Alexandra.'

Kirkpatrick won his six-man final of 20 lambs each despite being beaten in an all-North Island race for fastest time, finishing 37 seconds behind Pongaroa farmer and shearer David Buick, the only finalist to cut under 17 minutes.

The quality of Kirkpatrick, scoring his fifth win in the event, having previously triumphed in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013, won the day, but by less than three quarters of a point as Buick still claimed second place overall, with a buffer of over 3pts to Riverton shearer Casey Bailey.

Invercargill shearer Nathan Stratford, who beat Kirkpatrick by half-a-point in the Northern Southland Community Shears' national longwool final 24 hours earlier, was unable to maintain the pace in Winton in his bid to successfully defend both titles, and had to settle for sixth place in the lambs final.

Brothers Jade and Brandon Maguire Ratima claimed a unique double for Winton by winning the Senior and Intermediate finals respectively.

Jade Maguire Ratima, who made it two-in-a-row after winning the longwool Senior final the previous day, finished a lamb clear of the next quickest and won by just over half-a-point from well-travelled runner-up and Gore-based Taumarunui shearer Lionel Taumata.

Brandon Maguire Ratima beat longwool championships Intermediate winner John Malseed, of England, by about 1.7pts in the Intermediate final, and Saturday's Junior final was won by Mataura-based Jonah Collins, by over three points from runner-up Brayden Clifford, of Gore.

The Open woolhandling final proved a true championship event with first three Karauria, Keryn Herebert, from Te Awamutu, and Henare having now won the title nine times in the last 11 years between them, back to Henare's first win in the event in 2007, at the age of 16.

Natalie Collier, of Gore, scored a good win in the Senior woolhandling final after finishing runner-up in the longwool final in a woolshed near Lumsden the previous day, and Waikato competitor Tyler Hira completed a southern double by winning the Junior finals at both events.

Results of the Southland Shears and New Zealand crossbred lambs shearing
championships at the Winton A and P Show on Saturday, January 20, 2018:
Shearing:
Open final (20 lambs): John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 17min 36.85sec, 62.1925pts, 1; David Buick (Pongaroa) 16min 59.16sec, 62.808pts, 2; Casey Bailey (Riverton) 18min 29.12sec, 66.206pts, 3; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 16min 39.03sec, 66.9015pts, 4; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 17min 46.43sec, 67.0715pts, 5; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 19min 32.31sec, 69.0655pts, 6.

Open plate (10 lambs): Brook Todd 10min 22.57sec, 37.9285pts, 1; Ringakaha Paewai (Gore) 10min 57.13sec, 40.4565pts, 2; Andy Mainland (Invercargill) 11min 7.81sec, 40.8905pts, 3; Floyd Neil (Taumarunui) 9min 54.22sec, 41.211pts, 4; Shaun Matheson (Riverton) 9min 50.13se, 41.4065pts, 5; Turi Edmonds (Raetihi) 10min 50.57sec, 43.1285pts, 6.

Senior final (20 lambs): Jade Maguire Ratima (Winton) 11min 16.57sec, 46.5285pts, 1; Lionel Taumata (Taumarunui/Gore) 12min 8.07sec, 47.1035pts, 2; Luis Pincol (Chile) 12min 39.03sec, 48.3515pts, 3; Alex Smith (Rakaia) 13min 19.45sec, 48.9725pts, 4; Marley Waihape (Mataura) 12min 56.89sec, 52.4445pts, 5; Jan Hartmann (Germany) 14min 47.84sec, 56.192pts, 6.

Intermediate final (7 lambs): Brandon Maguire Ratima (Winton) 10min 57.5sec, 39.875pts, 1; John Malseed (England) 10min 14.25sec, 41.5696pts, 2; Quinton Chase (Taumarunui) 11min 4.84sec, 44.5277pts, 3; Kelly Macdonald (Lake Hawea) 11min 13.9sec, 47.1235pts, 4; Tyson Crown (Mataura) 12min 21.18sec, 48.4875pts, 5; James Dickson (Gore) 12min 11.07sec, 51.4106pts, 6.

Junior final (3 lambs): Jonah Collins (Mataura) 7min 48.97sec, 33.1151pts, 1; Brayden Clifford (Gore) 8min 6.46sec, 36.323pts, 2; Ryan Kirk (Mataura) 7min 57.78sec, 38.889pts, 3; Will Rogers (Wales) 7min 44.97sec, 43.2485pts, 4; Eli Winders (Tussock Creek) 9min 58.81sec, 46.6071pts, 5; Sharon Tuhakaraina (Gore) 9min 57.47sec, 53.8735pts, 6.

Woolhandling:

Open final: Pagan Karauria (Alexandra) 24.888pts, 1; Keryn Herbert (Te Awamutu/Te Kuiti) 27.656pts, 2; Joel Henare (Gisborne/Motueka) 30.082pts, 3; Monica Potae (Milton) 39.28pts, 4.

Senior final: Natalie Collier (Gore) 37.66pts, 1; Lashara Anderson (Mataura) 38.494pts, 2; Krystal Gulliver (Gore) 40.538pts, 3; Nova Kumeroa (Mataura) 40.58pts, 4.