Smith disrobed the first of his 20 ewes in 43 seconds but Kirkpatrick hit the front over the last five, finishing in 17min 0.139sec, with Smith next 11 seconds later, ahead of the fast finishing Ferguson and 2006 winner Dion King of Hastings, and then Buick.
The first five were separated by just 32 seconds, with another half-minute to the last-man off, Invercargill shearer Nathan Stratford, whose perseverance at the top level was rewarded with the biggest win of his career in the PGG Wrightson National Circuit final, shorn earlier in the night.
Another big winner was 22-year-old Joel Henare of Gisborne, who successfully defended the Golden Shears Open woolhandling title, and won a world championships New Zealand team selection trial final, enabling him to go to Ireland in May to defend the world title he won in 2012.
Second and also headed to Ireland was 2008 Golden Shears Open woolhandling and Kimbolton farmer Ronnie Goss, mother of New Zealand women's sevens rugby captain Sarah Goss, who already has a world title to her name as a footballer.