Golden Shears 2026: Joel Henare favourite for open woolhandling and world title

Joel Henare at the Golden Shears last year, winning the open woolhandling title for an 11th time. Photo / Pete Nikolaison

Defending Golden Shears woolhandling champion Joel Henare is a TAB favourite to win a big double at the four-day Golden Shears and 20th World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships, which start in Masterton on Wednesday.

Henare is going for a third world individual woolhandling title and a 12th consecutive Golden Shears open woolhandling title.

He was made a $1.35 favourite to add the world title to those he won in Masterton in 2012 and Invercargill in 2017, and a $1.50 favourite to retain the Golden Shears open title.

This comes from having won open finals at the Otago Shears, the Southern Shears, and Sunday’s Wairarapa Pre-Shears Woolhandling Championships over the three consecutive weeks before the annual trek to Masterton.

King Country woolhandler and Cook Islands representative Keryn Herbert is the second favourite, after finishing third at the Taumarunui Jamboree Shears on Friday and winning the Apiti Show final 24 hours later.

Both finals will be contested on an action-packed Saturday night, the last of the event.

Henare was one of 45 competitors in the open grade at Sunday’s Wairarapa Pre‑Shears, part of a wider field of 81 across three grades.

The Riverside Farm woolshed at Mikimiki, north of Masterton, hosted a busy programme featuring local show titles, two North Island Woolhandling Circuit finals, and an international match won by New Zealand’s Marika Braddick of Eketāhuna.

The runner-up in the open final was Pagan Rimene, of Alexandra; Logan Kamura, of Marton, was third, and fourth was Ngaio Hanson, of Eketāhuna.

The best-placed of those from overseas was Jess Parkhouse, of England, who was 19th in the heats.

The Cook Islands team of Herbert and Mataura-based Tina Elers was runner-up in the international event, and Wales came third.

This week, Wales defend the world title they won at the 2023 World Championships in Scotland.

Wairarapa Pre-Shears Woolhandling Championships results

Riverside Farm, Mikimiki

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Open final: Joel Henare (Motueka) 137.488pts, 1; Pagan Rimene (Alexandra) 197.06pts, 2; Logan Kamura (Marton) 222.116pts, 3; Ngaio Hanson (Eketāhuna) 253.142pts, 4.

Senior final: Te Whetu Brown (Wairoa/Napier) 140.782pts, 1; Laura Bradley (Woodville) 150.35pts, 2; Kelly Barrett (Kāwhia) 154.28pts, 3; Amy Bell (Weber) 175.008pts, 3.

Junior final: Jayda Millanta (Te Kaha) 122.524pts, 1; Ngahuia Salmond (Te Kūiti) 131.288pts, 2; Jade Hikawai (Dannevirke) 139.85pts, 3; Waiari Puna (Napier) 149.69pts, 4.

North Island Circuits

Senior final: Amy Bell (Weber) 96.67pts, 1; Eleri Bradley (Woodville) 111.47pts, 2; Laura Bradley (Woodville) 131.44pts, 3; Te Whetu Brown (Wairoa/Napier) 145.37pts, 4.

Junior final: Miracle Waikato (Hastings) 132.732pts, 1; Ngahuia Salmond (Te Kūiti) 150.47pts, 2; Leah Tamainu (Nūhaka) 181.9pts, 3; Waiari Puna (Napier) 243.03pts, 4.

Pre-Shears International: New Zealand (Joel Henare/Marika Braddick) 99.012pts, 1; Cook Islands (Keryn Herbert/Tina Elers) 166.526pts, 2; Wales (Sarah Jane Rees/Jess Morgan) 255.43pts, 3; Ireland (Hazel Crowe/Joanne Devaney) 359.68pts, 4.

Teams: Perfect Rhythm (Pagan Rimene/Jayda Millanta) 25.26pts, 1; Go Getters (Logan Kamura/Tamainu) 34.25pts, 2; King Country (Vinniye Phillips /Te Whetu Brown) 40.45pts, 3; West Coast (Keryn Herbert/Kelly Barrett) 46.78pts, 4.