Families help keep it local at Wairoa show

Keith Swann (left) and father Paul Swann shearing alongside each other in the Wairoa A and P Show Senior shearing final. Photo / Doug Laing

The hit the shearing industry has taken through the impacts of the Covid-19 crisis was highlighted dramatically with a sharp decline in the number of entries at the Wairoa A and P Show on Saturday.

On a brilliantly fine day the shears attracted just 49 shearers, which compared with 92 a year earlier when heavy rain forced the transfer of the 2020 show shearing to a remote woolshed 40km north of the town.

Last year there were more shearers across the grades than at any other of five shows throughout the country, including two national title shows in Southland.

Shearing Sports New Zealand chairman Sir David Fagan, who was at the show as a competition judge and also to watch son and Open-class shearer Jack, said that while there were 21 Welsh shearers at the 2020 show – including a two-man Wales national team, there were none from overseas last weekend.

With borders all-but closed to incoming workers because of the crisis, about seven are currently working in Hawke's Bay as exempt "critical workers", having served 14-day managed isolation quarantine, but, along with NZ workmates, been heavily committed to the job of making sure the nation's flock is shorn.

Among those keeping the entry numbers ticking over were three local farming and shearing families in new show organiser Paul Swann and sons Keith and Ryka, former long-time organiser Bart Hadfield and son Atawhai, and brothers Jack and Tom Dever and Milly Dever.

Keith and Paul Swann shore alongside each other in the Senior final, finishing second and fourth respectively to comfortable winner and Taihape teenager Reuben Alabaster.

Apart from that and a veteran's win by judge and former Golden Shears Open finalist and one-time New Zealand representative Ian Buchanan, from King Country, it was an all-local or Gisborne area clean sweep, including the Open final won by multiple champion Rowland Smith, who grew-up around Northland township Ruawai and lives at Maraekakaho, married to Ingrid (nee Baynes), daughter of farmers and show stalwarts Colin and Marg Baynes and thus Rowland Smith generally-acclaimed as "local" for the day.

The Intermediate final was won by Gisborne-area shepherd Dylan Young, the Junior by Kyle Rhodes, from Wairoa and also a shepherd, and the Novice event by Erueti King, from Matawai, who also had a brother competing, both sons of a shearing judge.

There was also a big win for 2014 New Zealand Shears Junior champion Raupunga shearer Carlton Aranui who caused a surprise by winning the Open Speedshear on Friday night, and beating both Smith, who was runner-up, and third-placed Jack Fagan, who has won more than 30 Speedshear finals, including international Speedshears during the 2017 World Championships in Invercargill, and preceding the 2019 championships in France.

There was also a local triumph in the sheepdog trial held earlier in the week to avoid a clash with the Tux Handy Dog North Island and National Yarding and Handy Dog finals on Saturday in Taupo.

Sheena Martin, with Intermediate dog Stretch, claimed top honours in the runoff, which didn't go well for top-qualifiers Peter Williams and Ike, drifting to fifth place.

The runner-up was Te Aute stalwart Bob Bruce, with Susan, the pair then heading west to finish second to Northland trialist Murray Child in both the North Island and National Yarding finals in Taupo.

Entries in the sheep dog trial had also declined, but the show was buoyed by a significant increase in numbers of horses and riders in the equestrian events and the rodeo.

SHEARING

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; Atawhai 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.

Novice: Erueti King (Matawai) 1, Zac Doolan (Taihape) 2, Emma Heke (Taihape) 3.

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.

Open Speedshear: 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 Speedshear: Selwyn Tapine (Wairoa) 21.32sec, 1; Grayden Hauiti (Dannevirke) 22.17sec, 2; Hayden Thornton (Raupunga) 23.16sec, 3; Brook Hamerton (Hastings) 27.76sec, 4.

SHEEP DOGS

Runoff: Sheena Martin, Stretch, 95pts, 1; Bob Bruce, Susan, Susan, 92.5pts, 2; Fraser Willson, Beau, 91.5pts, 3; Bob Bruce, Jack, 90pts, 4; Peter Williams, Ike, 83pts, 5.