King Country’s Jack Fagan top qualifier for circuit showdown at Golden Shears

Jack Fagan, seen here at the Pahiatua Shears in 2024, is the top qualifier for the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit semi-finals. Photo / SSNZ

King Country shearer Jack Fagan will go into the final stages of the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit as a clear top qualifier for the semi-finals, after gleaning maximum points from the last preliminary round at the Pahiatua Shears on Sunday.

Fagan finished the series with 48 points from a maximum possible 60 in the five rounds held at Alexandra (finewool merino), Waimate (fullwool), Christchurch (corriedale), Marton (lambs) and Pahiatua (second-shear).

The son of Sir David Fagan, who won the circuit title nine times from 1986 to 2008, he dropped just one point in the last three rounds, as second-to-top qualifier at Christchurch and top qualifier at Marton and Pahiatua.

He was 12 points clear of near-perennial top qualifier and three-times winner Nathan Stratford, of Invercargill.

However, the points now matter for nothing, as the competition for the top 12 reverts to the standard time and quality points of regular shearing competition at the 64th Golden Shears and World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships starting in Masterton on Wednesday.

The semi-finals are on Saturday morning, and the six-man final early in the afternoon will be over 15 sheep each – three of each wool type – in the chase for the premier title, which incorporates the McSkimming Memorial Trophy, contested annually since 1973.

The winner claims a place in the New Zealand team for home-and-away transtasman tests next summer, and also a year’s lease of a Hyundai Santa Fe.

Circuit chairman Warren White, of Waimate, said it was good to get so many entries.

“There were 27 in all, and there were 20 still with some chance of qualifying right up to the last round.”

It marks the 24th consecutive year of involvement for PGG Wrightson Wool.

It was a dramatic last day, with 2021 winner Leon Samuels, of Roxburgh, and defending champion Paerata Abraham, of Masterton, being among three who climbed back into the top 12 at the last chance – all recent world record breakers.

The third is Simon Goss, of Mangamahu.

Abraham, who also won in 2019, made it by a single point in reaching the unusually high threshold of 19 points, and ousting Central Hawke’s Bay shearer Axle Reid, who will be the first reserve.

The surviving 12 in order of qualifying are: Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti), Nathan Stratford (Invercargill), Justin Meikle (Ōamaru), John Kirkpatrick (Pakipaki), Leon Samuels (Roxburgh), Hugh de Lacy (Rangiora), David Gordon (Masterton), Simon Goss (Mangamahu), Lionel Taumata (Gore), Corey Palmer (Dipton), Paerata Abraham (Masterton), Brook Hamerton (Hastings).