Southland shearers shine at Southern Shears

Photo / File

Southland shearers and woolhandlers showed they were a cut above the rest in the lower grades at the Gore Southern Shears last week.

The woolhandling, held at the Hokonui Pavilion on Friday, had about 60 entries with top results from the Elers family, of Mataura.

Nova Kumeroa Elers won the senior final and Krome Elers won the junior final.

In the shearing, Winton man Jade Maguire-Ratima won the senior final, Mataura shearer Tyson Crown won the intermediate final and Gore shearer Brodie Horrell won the junior final.

Winton shearer Jade Maguire-Ratima won the senior final on Saturday. Photo / Kayla Hodge

Secretary Sharon Hillis said entries in the competition were up from the previous year.

''It's been a really great two days, the crowd really got behind all of them, supporting them - we're really happy with how it all went,'' Hillis said.

Read more shearing stories here.

World champion shearer John Kirkpatrick won his eighth South Island Shearer of the Year title.

He edged out Casey Bailey, of Riverton, by a split second for the fastest time of just over 19 minutes but scored top points in the pen judging.

Kirkpatrick, of Hawkes Bay, competed in about four Southland competitions to qualify for the competition.

Reigning Golden Shears champion Rowland Smith won the Southern Shears open final for the second year in a row. Photo / Kayla Hodge

Reigning Golden Shears champion Rowland Smith, of Hastings, defended his Southern Shears open title shearing 20 sheep in under 18 minutes.

Mataura shearer Brett Roberts, who won the open final at Northern Southland Community Shears and the Otago Shears, failed to make the final.

In the New Zealand vs Wales test match, New Zealand shearers Nathan Stratford, of Invercargill, and David Buick of Pongaroa, easily beat Welsh shearers Lloyd Rees and Aled Jones by 16.706pts.

Mataura woolhandlers Tina Elers and her daughter Lucy (18), were awarded Shearing Sports New Zealand judges badges at the competition.

President Murray Hewitson was pleased to see the number of young up-and-coming competitors at the show.

''We really want to get these young people going and there's no better place to do that.''

More than 1800 sheep were shorn throughout the competition, he said.

He paid tribute to the committee who worked tirelessly to put the show together.

''We get a real thrill from running this competition - it's been a great time.''

Mataura shearer Brett Roberts competes at the semifinal of the open division at the Gore Southern Shears.Photo / Kayla Hodge

Results:

CP Wool International Series, third test (15 sheep): New Zealand 113.5148pts (David Buick 15min 26.97sec, 55.5485pts; Nathan Stratford 16min 40.66sec, 57.9663pts) beat Wales 130.2208pts (Lloyd Rees 15min 37.78sec, 62.0223pts; Aled Jones 17min 31.97sec, 68.1985pts) by 16.706pts.

Interisland (15 sheep): North Island 152.298pts (David Buick 14min 29.78sec, 49.5557pts; Rowland Smith 14min 55.44sec, 50.772pts; John Kirkpatrick 15min 15.41sec, 51.9705pts) beats South Island 162.646pts (Nathan Stratford 15min 44.5sec, 52.225pts; Shaun Mathieson 15min 55.03sec, 53.3515pts; Andy Mainland 16min 26.72sec, 57.0693pts) by 10.348pts.

South Island Shearer of the Year (20 sheep): John Kirkpatrick (Pakipaki) 19min 3.66sec, 63.883pts, 1; Caisey Bailey (Riverton) 19min 4.01sec, 65.8005pts, 2; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 19min 44.79sec, 66.4895pts, 3; David Buick (Pongaroa) 19min 22.06sec, 67.103pts, 4; Leon Samuels (Ohai) 19min 37.06sec, 68.203pts, 5; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 20min 3.47sec, 71.1735pts, 6.

Southern Shears:

Open final (20 sheep): Rowland Smith (Hastings) 17min 55.59sec, 59.2295pts, 1; David Buick (Pongaroa) 18min 8.41sec, 59.6205pts, 2; John Kirkpatrick (Pakipaki) 18min 24sec, 61.35pts, 3; Aaron Haynes (Feilding) 18min 29.66sec, 61.733pts, 4; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 19min 28.06sec, 62.203pts, 5; Troy Pyper (Invercargill) 18min 48.62sec, 62.931pts, 6..

Senior final (12 sheep): Jade Maguire Ratima (Winton) 14min 9.12sec, 49.3726pts, 1; Lionel Taumata (Taumarunui/Gore) 13min 43.32sec, 2; Brandon Maguire Ratima (Winton) 14min 35sec, 50.75pts, 3; Karipa Tumohe (Balclutha) 14min 39.28sec, 51.214pts, 4; Chris Malcolm (Nightcaps) 13min 59.25sec, 52.2125pts, 5; Luis Pincol (Chile/Waimate) 15min 23.63sec, 52.5982pts, 6.

Intermediate final (5 sheep): Tyson Crown (Mataura) 7min 5.66sec, 26.683pts, 1; John Cherrington (Huntly, Scotland) 8min 6.34sec, 30.117pts, 2; Brayden Clifford (Gore) 8min 18.28sec, 33.114pts, 3; Stacey Whitu (Roxburgh) 7min 8.57sec, 32.4285pts, 4; James Dickson (Gore) 7min 57.31sec, 35.2655pts, 5; Matt Hunt (Waikaka) 8min 22.03sec, 37.5015pts, 6.

Junior final (4 sheep): Brodie Horrell (Gore) 6min 2.69sec, 29.3845pts, 1; Henry Mayo (Dorset, England) 7min 49.94sec, 30.247pts, 2; Hamish Baddiley (Porangahu) 8min 17sec, 33.6pts, 3; Lexie Phillips (Hamilton) 8min 18.18sec, 34.159pts, 4; William Ballantyne (Teviothead, Scotland) 9min 37.53sec, 34.8765pts, 5; Katie Reid 9min 29.5sec, 37.225pts, 6.

Woolhandling:

Open final: Pagan Karauria (Alexandra) 187.25pts, 1; Tia Potae (Milton) 297.37pts, 2; Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti) 328.9pts, 3.

Senior final: Nova Kumeroa Elers (Mataura) 97.632pts, 1; Maiden Elers (Mataura) 139.62pts, 2; Krystal Gulliver (Gore) 141.664pts, 3; Tyler Hira (Onewhero) 158.38pts, 4.

Junior final: Krome Elers (Mataura) 63.458pts, 1; Autumn Waihape (Gore) 121.4pts, 2; Gypsy Hoani (Gore) 130.38pts, 3; Phoebe Rangiuaia (Mataura) 140.59pts, 4.

Novice: Stacey Whitu (Roxburgh) 63.918pts, 1; Mitchell Murray (Amberley) 88.4pts, 2; Luke Pablo (-) 98.6pts, 3; Ray Gulliver (Gore) 99.47pts, 4.