Shearing: Travers Baigent gets a win at Murchison

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Wakefield shearer Travers Baigent won the Murchison A and P Show open title on Saturday.

It was his first win in nine finals in the Nelson area shows, since his last win almost two years ago.

Travers had four wins in the 2018-2019 season, including Murchison, and the last on one of his longer trips, to Kaikōura.

There were just five entries on Saturday, and 12 over the four grades, but spectators were treated to a good 20-sheep final in which Floyd Haare, was first off in 17min 42.78sec.

Haare, who is currently based at Collingwood, was fresh from his first open win, at Reefton on February 6.

But, finishing 9 seconds later, Baigent had easily the best quality points in the four-man final and won by more than seven points from eventual runner-up Nick Nalder, of Takaka, with Haare 3rd and Frank Bint, of Tapawera, 4th.

While Baigent had confined his competition to the region, he still had some tough opposition at times, including New Zealand representative Troy Pyper and National Circuit champion Angus Moore. Baigent finished third behind the pair at Tapawera last month.

Baigent is now one of 14 winners from the 30 open finals throughout the country this season.

Hamish Barker, of Tapawera, was the lone shearer in the senior grade, Ben Forrester, of Rangiora, won the intermediate final, and junior honours went to Tapawera-based Timo Hicks, who was also second to Baigent in the clean shear.

Results from the Murchison A and P Show Shears on Saturday, February 20, 2021:

Open final (20 sheep): Travers Baigent (Wakefield) 17min 51sec, 65.25pts, 1; Nick Nalder (Takaka) 18min 47.25sec, 72.56pts, 2; Floyd Haare (Ohai/Collingwood) 17min 42.78sec, 76.49pts, 3; Frank Bint (Tapawera) 24min 18.94sec, 88.9pts, 4.

Senior final (6 sheep): Hamish Barker (Tapawera) 9min 42.78sec, 46.473pts, 1.

Intermediate final (4 sheep): Ben Forrester (Rangiora) 6min 41.93sec, 32.85pts, 1; Kimberley MacLean (Motueka) 7min 41.69sec, 34.08pts, 2; Jock Fitzpatrick (Greymouth) 6min 57.59sec, 34.38pts, 3; Pam Irvine (Tapawera) 10min 46.03sec, 48.3pts, 4.

Junior final (3 sheep): Timo Hicks (Tapawera) 7min 29.28sec, 31.13pts, 1; Tom Curnow (Wakefield) 6min 38.13sec, 45.91pts, 2; Rob Clark (Greymouth) 8min 33.59sec, 54.35pts, 3.

Clean shear (2 sheep): Travers Baigent (Wakefield) 8pts, 1; Timo Hicks (Tapawera) 10pts, 2; Frank Bint (Tapawera) 11pts, 3; Nick Nalder (Takaka) 17pts, 4.