New Zealand Lamb Shearing Championships: Leon Samuels keeps his title

Leon Samuels, seen here in action at the Golden Shears, successfully defended the NZ lambs title on Monday. Photo / Pete Nikolaison

A winning margin of just 0.062 points has enabled Southland shearer Leon Samuels to retain his New Zealand Lamb Shearing Championships title and extend an unprecedented sequence of major-event triumphs in the past 12 months.

The defending champion’s win came on Monday at the Mackenzie A & P Show in Fairlie, where now Roxburgh-based Samuels finished a 20-lambs final 37 seconds clear of next-man-off and South Island-based English shearer Alex Clapham.

But the big threat came from Pleasant Point contractor Ant Frew, who had markedly the best quality points and went within two seconds of claiming the biggest win of his career.

It was the sixth win of the season for Samuels and almost a third in nine days for Frew who, having been a surprise eight in the Golden Shears open semi-finals, won on March 16 at the Methven A & P Show and on Saturday at the Oxford A & P Show.

Samuels is the simultaneous holder of six national titles across four wool types.

These include second-shear events the Golden Shears and New Zealand Shears open titles in the North Island and the Otago Shears and Southern Shears open titles in the south - as well as the New Zealand Merino Shears (fine wool), the New Zealand Spring Shears (long wool), and the lambs title won in both 2023 and 2024.

Originally from Mangakino in the Central North Island but long based in Invercargill, Samuels has had a big five years, including wins in the 2021 National Shearing Circuit and New Zealand Shears Circuit finals, and achieving history-making triumphs in the 2023 New Zealand Shears open final and this year’s Golden Shears open final – the first South Island shearer to win either title in more than 30 years.

Meanwhile, it was a big Easter weekend for Rangiora shearer Blake Crooks who won the senior finals at the Oxford A and P Show on Saturday and at the Mackenzie show.

He has had seven wins this season andwill be a strong contender at the New Zealand Shears in Te Kuiti over the following three days, including hopes of being the No 1 ranked senior shearer nationwide for the season.

He was one of three shearers to win at both Oxford and Fairlie, the feat mirrored by Te Awamutu shearer Ethan Fladgate in the intermediate grade and Thomas Marchant, of Maramarua, in the junior grade, each on the back of Golden Shears finals placings in Masterton.

There were small numbers in the blades shearing, with Tim Hogg, of Timaru, winning at Oxford, and Fairlie farmer Tony Dobbs winning at his home show.

Each had three wins during the season, but Hogg, who was also third in Fairlie, claimed the blade No 1 ranking for the season for the first time.

Mackenzie A & P Show NZ Lamb Shearing Championships

Easter Monday, April 1, 2024

Open final (20 lambs): Leon Samuels (Roxburgh) 18m 45.22s, 64.561pts, 1; Ant Frew (Pleasant Point) 19m 32.46s, 64.623pts, 2; Hugh De Lacy (Rangiora) 19m 37.63s, 65.5815pts, 3; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 19m 29s, 68.7pts, 4; Willy McSkimming (Ōamaru) 20m 15.03s, 71.5515pts, 5; Alex Clapham (England) 19m 22.62, 72.031pts, 6.

Senior final (10 sheep): Blake Crooks (Rangiora) 11m 45.22s, 41.861pts, 1; Dre Roberts (Mataura) 11m 42.93s, 45.8465pts, 2; Aiden Tarrant (Taumarunui) 13m 5.53s, 49.5765pts, 3; Alice Watson (Seddon) 13m 16.5s, 51.625pts, 3; Kapua Brown (Taumarunui) 11m 40.53s, 53.1265pts, 5; Andrew Booth (Waimate) 15m 19.6s, 58.88pts, 6.

Intermediate final (6 sheep): Ethan Fladgate (Te Awamutu) 10m 15.15s, 38.7575pts, 1; Emma Martin (Wyndham) 11m 4.9s, 39.4227pts, 2; Cody Waihape (Gore) 10m 31.75s, 44.5875pts, 3; Sam McCone (Geraldine) 10m 49.84s, 47.992pts, 4; Caleb Brooking (Mataura) 10m 54.81s, 50.7405pts, 5; Jayden Turner (-) 9m 40.06, 58.503pts, 6.

Junior final (4 sheep): Thomas Marchant (Maramarua) 7m 52.97s, 36.1485pts, 1; Tye Meikle (Ōamaru) 8m 17.87s, 37.3465pts, 2; Ethan Eade (-) 8m 34.35s, 40.9675pts, 3; Emilia Meling (Norway) 9m 6.84s, 45.342pts, 4; Tracey Paton (Timaru) 9m 36.38s, 48.819pts, 5; Matthew Roy (Fairlie) 8m 42.69s, 55.3845pts, 6.

Blades final (5 sheep): Tony Dobbs (Fairlie) 16m 28.44s, 58.822pts, 1; Phil Oldfield (Geraldine) 18m 19.1s, 62.955pts, 2; Tim Hogg (Timaru) 16m 18.28s, 68.314pts, 3; Shaun Burgess (Rangiora) 19m 11.44s, 99.172pts, 4.

Oxford A & P Show Shears

Easter Saturday, March 30, 2024

Open final (15 sheep): Ant Frew (Pleasant Point) 15m 56.34s, 51.88pts, 1; Hugh De Lacy (Rangiora) 15m 55.88s, 53.06pts, 2; Floyde Neil (Taumarunui/Boyup Brook W.A.) 14m 49.66s, 54.22pts, 3; Willy McSkimming (Ōamaru) 16m 42.31s, 61.98pts, 4.

Senior final (10 sheep): Blake Crooks (Rangiora) 12m 35.03s, 41.15pts, 1; Josh Devane (Taihape) 12m 56.28s, 44.41pts, 2; Reuben King (Kaiapoi) 14m 52.78s, 50.74pts, 3; Sam Bryan (West Melton) 16m 15.09s, 60.65pts, 4.

Intermediate final (6 sheep): Ethan Fladgate (Te Awamutu) 10m 16.28s, 39.15pts, 1; Tim Hogg (Timaru) 10m 41.94s, 41.43pts, 2; Caleb Brooking (Mataura) 10m 30.6s, 44.7pts, 3.

Junior final (4 sheep): Thomas Marchant (Maramarua) 8m 3.19s, 35.91pts, 1; Tye Meikle (Ōamaru) 8m 58.41s, 39.17pts, 2; Josh Wilson (Dunsandel) 10m 20.5s, 43.53pts, 3; Sophie Green (Okuku) 10m 26.97s, 45.85pts, 4.

Blades final (3 sheep): Tim Hogg (Timaru) 11m 6.31s, 41.32pts, 1; Mike McConnell (Christchurch) 12m 7.32s, 45.7pts, 2; Noel Handley (Rangiora) 11m 3.28s, 52.16pts, 3; Shaun Burgess (Rangiora) 13m 14.57s, 70.06pts.