Mollie Moffett won the Golden Shears women's singles woolpressing final in Masterton today. Photo / Golden Shears
Mollie Moffett won the Golden Shears women's singles woolpressing final in Masterton today. Photo / Golden Shears
An apple orchardist’s daughter who reckons she entered the wool industry by accident during a holiday job while at high school has become the Golden Shears women’s woolpressing champion.
Mollie Moffett, 26, who grew up on an orchard near Fernhill in Hawke’s Bay, won the final today, on the secondday of the 64th annual Golden Shears.
She beat defending champion Savannah King, of Masterton.
The win came alongside the 14th men’s title success for Jeremy Goodger, also of Masterton.
He made a rushed trip home from Australia, where work had been disrupted by wet weather.
Goodger said he made the decision when he realised no other member of the family would be competing at this year’s Shears, which includes the 20th World Shearing and Woolhandling Championship.
Winning the event after three years without the red ribbon, Goodger beat defending champion Ricci Stevens, of Napier, in the final.
He also claimed the Golden Shears pairs title for a 16th time – his seventh in a row – this time with Conan Grey-Harmon, also of Masterton.
By contrast, the women’s final provided a first win for Moffett, who now lives in Hastings and has also dabbled in shearing and woolhandling in competition.
Jeremy Goodger returned from Australia to Masterton to regain the Golden Shears men's singles woolpressing title. Photo / Golden Shears
As fiancée of open-class shearer Brook Hamerton, now a shearing contracting partner, she decided that, if she was going to be heading for Masterton, she had better be competitive about it.
She did a full season pressing about two years ago, but said this season she had filled in when needed.
Woolpressing results
Golden Shears men’s singles: Jeremy Goodger (Masterton) 46.05pts, 1; Ricci Stevens (Napier) 48.35pts, 2.
Golden Shears women’s singles: Mollie Moffett (Hastings) 62.85pts, 1; Savanah King (Eketahuna) 69.2pts, 2.
