Joel Henare celebrates defending his New Zealand Open woolhandling title. Photo / Supplied
Joel Henare celebrates defending his New Zealand Open woolhandling title. Photo / Supplied
It has been a stellar few weeks for Dunedin-based woolhandler Joel Henare.
He has added to his world championship title and Golden Shears victory with a successful defence of his New Zealand Open woolhandling title in Te Kuiti.
It was a fourth New Zealand Open title for Henare, whose thirdsuccessive win in the event followed his first in 2010, and a junior title at the championships in 2005 when he was just 12.
He dominated the woolhandling final winning by almost 40 points from runner-up and six-times winner Sheree Alabaster, of Taihape, while first time finalist Eramiha Neho, of Dannevirke, was third. Henare won his second world individual title in Invercargill in February and his fifth Golden Shears open title last month.
Hot favourite Rowland Smith retained his New Zealand Open shearing title, also having dominated the New Zealand season, winning 24 finals with an unbroken sequence of 17 in the past two months.
Completing a clean sweep of the two major open crossbred second-shear titles and the two major multi-breeds series, it was Smith's fifth New Zealand Open title with previous wins in 2011, 2013, 2014 and last year.
