Gavin Mutch. Photo/Supplied
Taranaki farmer and Scotland shearing World championships hope Gavin Mutch loomed large as a possibility to regain the title he won in 2012 when he led the field after the first round of heats in Invercargill today.
Shearing on the second of the four days of the 40th anniversary World shearing and woolhandling championships in Invercargill's ILT Stadium Southland, Mutch was one of just four shearers to go under six minutes for the five lambs, posting the fastest time of 5min 34.597sec, and maintaining just enough quality to claim the No 1 seeding, with the second round on second-shear adult sheep tomorrow (Friday) and the longwool round on the busy last day which will culminate with the six-man final on Saturday night.
Mutch, a farmer at Whangamomona, leads by just 0.72pts from surprise second-placed England representative Dean Nelmes.
Next is TAB favourite, Napier shearer and four-times Golden Shears Open champion John Kirkpatrick, chasing the elusive World individual World title on his fourth attemp, posting fourth-fastest time and best shearing board points.
The second-fastest time was recorded, remarkably by Senior grade shearer Aaron Bell,who is from Waipawa but represents Cook Islands, taking 5min 48.479sec. and was in 12th place, maintaining hopes of a place in the eventual top 12 for Saturday's semi-finals.
Just as remarkably, nine countries are represented in the top 12 going into the second round, and 12 in the top 18.
With World title blade shearing and woolhandling rounds not starting till tomorrow (Friday), other attention focused on news that the last two night's on Friday and Saturday a near sell-out, with over 4000 expected for the finals on Saturday night.
But on the shearing board there was action for all in the Southland All Nations events which doubled as a warm-up for World Championships competitors and a competition opportunity for shearing and woolhandling supporters and which culminate with finals on Friday.
Much of this interest also focused on reigning World machine shearing champion and Hawke's Bay shearer Rowland Smith, who grew up in Northland. He conceded a rare display of nervousness in the All Nations Open heats, which drew 100 entries. He qualified 15th of the 24 for the quarterfinals, a list with a surprise top qualifier in Casey Bailey, of Riverton.
New Zealand World championships woolhandling hope Joel Henare headed the All Nations Open woolhandling final qualifiers, looking a possible double and a repeat of the All Nations win he had in Ireland three years ago after being eliminated from World title contention and the chance to defend the title he won in 2012 and hopes to regain this weekend.
South Africa's Joel Bangani and Mayenzeke Shweni made a semi-finals reassertion of their global blade shearing dominance by qualifying first and second for the All Nations blade shearing final, after New Zealand hope Tony Dobbs, of Fairlie dominated the heats. Dobbs remained in the race, qualifying in third place.
There was expected to be a more relaxed atmosphere tonight for the Speedshear events, being shorn in just two grades, Open and Senior.
The event is being live-streamed via www.worldshearingchamps.com.