Northland shearer Toa Henderson. Photo / Barbara Newton
Northland shearer Toa Henderson. Photo / Barbara Newton
If Northland shearer Toa Henderson hadn’t already signalled his presence as a challenger for the major shearing titles this summer, he did so when he won the Otago Shears open final on Saturday at Carterhope Estate woolshed, near Balclutha.
It was Henderson’s first win in the South Island, along withhis second victory in five days over defending Golden Shears and New Zealand Shears opens champion Rowland Smith from Hawke’s Bay.
Henderson was first to finish on Saturday’s final, shearing the 20 sheep on the curved, six-stand Carterhope board in 17min 12.37sec and beating second-man-off and overall runner-up Leon Samuels, of Invercargill, by 29 seconds.
Mataura shearer Brett Roberts finished next finishing next in 17min 40.88sec.
It was a gallant return for Roberts after a significant hand injury ended his national crossbreds lambs title run mid-final at Winton on January 21.
It was Gordon’s sixth open final in the eight shows he’s contested in the New Year. He’s been a winner in all five grades from novice to open nationwide.
The Otago Shears is traditionally the first show in the lead-in to the Golden Shears, in Masterton on March 2-4.
Next in line is the Southern Shears in Gore this Friday.
After that, most of the leading contenders will head back to the North Island for the pre-Shears procession of the Taumarunui Shears (February 25), Apiti Sports Shears (February 25) and Pahiatua Shears (February 26).
The 32-year-old Henderson, from Kaiwaka, is increasingly well-primed, as he now has six wins under his belt this season.
His previous wins were at the Central Hawke’s Bay and Stratford A and P shows in November, Northland shows at Whangarei and Kaihohe in December and January, and the Aria Waitangi Day Sports and Otago in the last week.
He’s been in finals just once this season.
Toa Henderson wins the Otago Shears open shearing final on Saturday at Carterhope Estate, near Balclutha. Photo / Barbara Newton.
Woolhandling
It was also a big day for champion woolhandler Joel Henare, who won the Otago Shears’ New Zealand Woolhandler of the Year open final for the 13th time – five times consecutively in 2008-2012 and eight times consecutively in 2015-2023 (there was no competition in 2022).
He will be targeting a ninth consecutive win in the Golden Shears open woolhandling, in which his 2018 win was the 100th of his open-class career.
Despite toying with retirement, he’s won another 29 but is bypassing a chance to go for his third world individual title this year as he focuses on the futures of his children.
Candy Hiri, of Mataura, was runner-up on Saturday, boosting yet again her chances for a place in the woolhandling team selection series final, which will also be held at the Golden Shears, and third place went to local South Otago woolhandler Cheri Peterson.
In other finals, Clay Harris, of Piopio, repeated an Aria and Balclutha senior shearing double, Australian Doltan Harris had his first New Zealand win in the intermediate final and Cody Waihape, of Mataura, won the junior title by just 0.1395pts from runner-up and Rangiora shearer Lydia Thomson, who was gunning for a ninth final win this season.
Charis Morrell, of Alexandra, won the senior woolhandling final, and Chloe Henderson, from Feilding, had her first win, in the junior woolhandling final.
Joel Henare, from Gisborne, won his 13th Otago Shears New Zealand Woolhandler of the Year title. Photo / Barbara Newton.
Results from the Otago Shears Shearing and Woolhandling Championships at Carterhope Estate woolshed, Balclutha, on Saturday, February 11, 2023
Shearing:
Open final (20 sheep): Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 17min 12.37sec, 56.7185pts, 1; Leon Samuels (Invercargill) 17min 31.37sec, 58.4185pts, 2; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 18min 17.12sec, 58.806pts, 3; Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 17min 46.47sec, 58.8735pts, 4; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 17min 40.88sec, 60.294pts, 5; David Gordon (Masterton) 18min 45.62sec, 63.781pts, 6.
