National titles double for Gisborne woolhandler

Brittany Tibble, of Gisborne, makes it two in a row in the New Zealand Senior woolhandling final in Te Kuiti. Photo / Supplied

Gisborne woolhandler Brittany Tibble returned to the scene of her first woolhandling final win, to record her second a year later on the opening day of the 2017 New Zealand Shearing Championships in Te Kuiti today.

Tibble scored her first win in the New Zealand Championships Senior final a year ago and repeated the effort today.

Although she started woolhandling about six years ago, the 25-year-old mum-of-two has had only three other appearances in finals, including third in the Golden Shears Senior woolhandling final last year.

To win today's five-handler final with the wool from five second-shear sheep each she had to beat two of the best performers of the 2016-2017 season.

Napier woolhandler Angela Stevens, of Napier, who won the Junior title last year and who last month won the Southland All Nations Senior woolhandling title during the World championship in Invercargill, was runner-up and 2017 Golden Shears Senior champion Jamie McLean, of Taihape, was fifth.

Napier shearer Ricci Stevens completed two unique doubles when he won the Junior woolhandling final - emulating the win by wife Angela last year and also completing a Golden Shears-New Zealand Championships double in the last month.

It was Ricci Stevens' seventh woolhandling win of the season, and fourth in a row, while he has also won two of his 16 Senior shearing finals - the real target of his trip to Te Kuiti being another shearing title in Te Kuiti where the Senior heats will be shorn tomorrow (Friday).

Results of finals on the opening day of the New Zealand Shearing Championships being held in Te Kuiti on March 30-April 1, 2017:

Woolhandling:
New Zealand Championships Senior final (5 second-shear sheep): Brittany Tibble (Gisborne) 69.87pts, 1; Angela Stevens (Napier) 73.56pts, 2; Ash Boyce (Dannevirke) 75.84pts, 3; Raniera Whare (Taumarunui) 84.72pts, 4; Jamie McLean (Taihape) 95.93pts, 5.
New Zealand Championships Junior final (5 sheep): Ricci Stevens (Napier) 54.84pts, 1; Darryl Harrison (Dannevirke) 72.97pts, 2; Summer Pritchard (Pongaroa) 73.462pts, 3; Bianca Hawea (Masterton) 81.53pts, 4; Jodie Hogg (Te Kuiti) 111.81pts, 5.