Southland woolhandler Amy Ferguson. Photo / Thomas Lambert
As a landscape architect, Brittany Smith certainly knew her ground - and her fibre - as she won the senior woolhandling title on the first day of the Canterbury Shears’ national Corriedale Shearing and Woolhandling Championships.
It was just her second competition, but Smith has two national titles, as she added the win on Saturday to the junior title she claimed in her hometown Christchurch show a year earlier.
Smith was born into a family sheep and deer farming background around Otautau in Southland.
She moved to Christchurch at a young age and is currently working on her Masters in landscape architecture.
Smith keeps the studies viable working part-time as a woolhandler for Christchurch contractor Pullin Shearing.
She had just one answer when asked for the key to her success after the latest dabble on the board and the tables of what was the last woolhandling competition of the 2024-2025 season in the South Island until the Northern Southland Community Shears near Lumsden on January 17.
“I’ve been encouraged by many woolhandlers who have taken the time to teach me well.
“I would like to travel to more shows this season.
“I’d like to try another show at some point. Depends on the season here.”
Meanwhile, the open final, which attracted 12 entries, was won by Southland woolhandler Amy Ferguson.
The final included Taiwha Nelson, who won the title in 2012 and had another rare win at Waimate on October 11.
Ferguson won the junior final at Christchurch in 2008 and came second in the open final last year.
Ferguson turned the tables on defending champion Joel Henare, from Gisborne, who was going for a fourth Canterbury Shears title in a row.
Henare finished second.
The No 1-ranked junior in New Zealand in the 2008-2009 season and the senior grade a year later, it was Ferguson’s third national title and just her third win, in an open-class career spanning about 25 finals over 14 years.
Her first was the New Zealand Merino Championship in Alexandra in 2013 and the second at the New Zealand full wool title at Lumsden in 2022.
The junior final was won by Jayda Millanta, from Te Kaha.
The only other competition during the weekend was a speed shear at the Waiau rugby club in North Canterbury on Saturday afternoon, with about $5000 worth of prizes, including $2000 for the winner of the open class, and $500 to the senior champion.
Shearing-only competitions will be shorn at the Nelson and West Otago A&P shows on November 23, the last shearing sports competitions in the South Island until the Peninsula Duvauchelle Shears on January 11.
Read the results from the NZ Corriedales shearing championships here.
The only remaining competitions in the North Island before Christmas are the Matiere Cosmopolitan Club Speed Shear near Taumarunui on November 29, the shearing-only Taranaki Shears in Stratford on November 30, with a speed shear afterwards at the Toko rugby club, and the Whangārei A&P Show, also with a speed shear, on December 7, when the Rotorua A&P Show Shearing and Woolhandling Championships will also be held.
Woolhandling results from the Canterbury Shears in Christchurch
Open final: Amy Ferguson (Invercargill/Alexandra) 130.106pts, 1; Joel Henare (Gisborne/Motueka) 134.024pts, 2; Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 139.418pts, 3; Charis Morrell (Alexandra) 4.
Senior final: Brittany Smith (Christchurch) 104.626pts, 1; Nadine Smith (Christchurch) 156.58pts, 2; Hemi Paniora (Christchurch) 238.124pts, 3.
Junior final: Jayda Millanta (Te Kaha) 72.844pts, 1; Richanna Clarke (Seddon) 77.268pts, 2; Tessa Kirdy (Ashburton) 88.782pts, 3; Miriama Thompson (-) 4.