Shearing: Power cut brings early end to Pahiatua Shears

Masterton shearer David Gordon, who won a curtailed senior event at the Pahiatua Shears on Sunday, pictured a day early at the Apiti and District Show. Photo / Doug Laing SSNZ

It's normally the short circuit that causes the power cut.

But it was the power cut that resulted in the short circuit yesterday, when a tree falling on power lines in northern Wairarapa brought an early end to the Pahiatua Shears, and the scrapping of the last qualifying round in the PGG Wrightson Wool National Circuit.

The 12 finalists for the circuit showdown at the Golden Shears this week, with the winner claiming a place in the New Zealand team for a home-and-away transtasman test series next summer, will be based on points from four earlier rounds at Alexandra, Waimate, Christchurch and Marton.

The Golden Shears start in Masterton on Thursday, the circuit final featuring alongside the Golden Shears Open shearing and woolhandling finals and a transtasman shearing test as the 59th annual championships draw to close on Saturday night.

Shearing Sports New Zealand zone delegate and former Golden Shears president Philip Morrison said the power cut in the competition woolshed off Mangaone Valley Rd, about 20km southeast of Pahiatua, happened during the Junior semi-finals, just over two hours into the day.

The Intermediate and Senior heats had also been completed and with the Open-class heats featuring at least five who have won the World championship or the Golden Shears Open, about 80 competitors were expected to have shorn during the day, from as far as Invercargill and Northland.

Shearers waited patiently for five hours but with no sign of a reconnection by 3pm, a decision was made to cancel, with prizegiving for the three lower grades based on placings in the heats.

Masterton shearer, who at the age of 13 won the 2010 Golden Shears Novice final, claiming the Pahiatua Senior title, 2017 Golden Shears Junior champion Mark Ferguson, of Elsthorpe, won the Intermediate event, and scotswoman Katie Reid added the Junior title to that she won at Taumarunui on Friday.

The power cut was understood to have been caused by a tree falling on to lines in Tiraumea Rd.

The cancellation also stopped Golden Shears Open favourite and defending champion Rowland Smith from completing a rare treble of wins on the last weekend before the Golden Shears, after his wins at Taumarunui on Friday and Apiti on Saturday.

It was the last shakedown for shearers before the Golden Shears, but woolhandlers have one more chance ti get it together at the Wairarapa Pre-Shears Woolhandling Championships at Riverside Farm north of Masterton on Wednesday.

Results from Sunday's Pahiatua Shears, which were called off because of a power cut after completion of heats in three grades:

Senior (4 sheep): David Gordon (Masterton) 6min 8.65sec, 24.433pts, 1; Lionel Taumata (Gore) 5min 49.87sec, 26.744pts, 2; Simon Goss (Mangamahu) 6min 20.79sec, 26.79pts, 3; Cody Greig (Sanson) 6min 11.57sec, 27.079pts, 4; Daniel Seed (Woodvilkle) 6min 44.3sec, 27.465pts, 5; Chris Dickson (Masterton) 6min 1.84sec, 27.592pts, 6.

Intermediate (3 sheep): Mark Ferguson (Elsthorpe) 5min 58.05sec, 22.57pts, 1; Tyson Crown (Mataura) 5min 24sec, 25.534pts, 2; Keith Swann (Wairoa) 5min 47.89sec, 26.729pts, 3; Kyle Mita (Masterton) 5min 34.04sec, 26.752pts, 4; Paora Moanaroa (Eketahuna) 5min 33.72sec, 27.686pts, 5; Cullum Pritchard (Pongaroa) 5min 49.21sec, 28.461pts, 6.

Junior (2 sheep): Katie Reid (Scotland) 4min 55.6sec, 21.78pts, 1; Atawhai Hadfield (Ruakituri) 4min 41.49sec, 22.075pts, 2; Joseph Gordon (Masterton) 5min 50.25sec, 23.013pts, 3; Topia Barrowcliffe (Piopio) 4min 24.9sec, 23.745pts, 4; Will May (England) 4min 48.46sec, 24.923pts, 5; Levi King (Motu) 5min 22.02sec, 27.601pts, 6.