Trumphant southern raid on the Golden Shears, but no cigar

The South Island has had possibly its biggest night in the 60 years of the Golden Shears in Masterton with a near cleansweep of major titles on the last of the championships’ four days.

But the south was left still without the big one, as it has done since 1989, with Hawke's Bay gun Rowland Smith claiming Golden Shears Open Shearing Championship for a 7th time by Hawke’s Bay gun Rowland Smith, despite a spirited challenge from 10-times finalist Nathan Stratford and first-time finalist and fellow Invercargill shearer Leon Samuels, who were second and third respectively.

The southern imprint was otherwise everywhere, highlighted by Canterbury-based Southland shearer Troy Pyper’s role in New Zealand’s first transtasman test shearing win in three years, Central Otago-based Gisborne woolhandler Joel Henare’s eighth consecutive Golden Shears Open woolhandling title, and Marlborough gun Angus Moore’s second PGG Wrighson National Shearing Circuit final win, eight years after his first.

Earlier in the day 23-year-old Brandon Maguire Ratima, of Winton, added the Golden Shears Senior shearing title to the Intermediate title he won two years ago, and Amber Poihipi, 29, of Ohai, who voluntarily upgraded from Junior soon after the start of the season in October, won the Senior woolhandling title.

Marlborough shearing contractor Sarah Higgins joined the part by winning the women’s Invitation shearing event.

One of the few northern triumphs on a busy last day was that of Te Kuiti woolhandler Keryn Herbert who won the North Island Open Woolhandling Circuit final, to claim a place in next season’s New Zealand transtasman team with Smith, Moore and Henare, although the team selection depends on availability.

North Canterbury-based Southland shearer Troy Pyper in his leading performance as New Zealand broke a five-match transtasman series losing streak to beat Ausrtralia at the 60th Golden Shears in Masterton tonight.
PHOTO/Pete Nikolaison, Golden Shears.

Rowland Smith and judge Ken McPherson after finishing the 60 Golden Shears Open shearing final and winning the glamour event for a 7th time.
PHOTO/Pete Nikolaison, Golden Shears.

Marlborough shearer wins the PGG Wrighrson National Circuit final at the 60th Golden Shears in Masterton tonight.
PHOTO/Pete Nikolaison, Golden Shears.

Golden Shears Open woolhandling title No 8 coming-up for Central Otago-based Joel Henare, from Gisborne.
PHOTO/Pete Nikolaison.  

Hawke’s Bay’s shear share of the gold at the Goldies

Hawke’s Bay competitors pulled off a cleansweep of all three titles decided on the opening day of the 60th Golden Shears in Masterton yesterday (Wednesday).

Wairoa College pupil Ryka Swann, 14, won the Novice shearing final, and Senior grade shearer Laura Bradley, of Papatawa, between Woodville and Dannevirke, reverted to throwing the fleeces rather than shearing them and won the Novice woolhandling title.

Earlier, in the first final of the championships, farm training cadets Connor McIntyre, from Pongaroa, and Zane Rogers, from Gisborne, retained the Student Shearing Challenge title for Pukemiro Station, just east of Dannevirke.

McIntyre had been in the team when the small training unit won the event for the first time last year.

Swann’s win, in a record Novice field of 68 shearers, was his fourth of the 2019-2020 season, with earlier Novice final wins at the Royal Show’s Great Raihania Shears in Hastings in October, the Central Hawke’s Bay A and P Show in Waipukurau in November, and his home Wairoa show in January.

He was second to finish the two sheep in the six-shearer all-male final, which he shore in 6min 18.352sec. But he had easily the best quality points to beat runner-up Michael Buick, of Pongaroa, by 4.835pts, with fastest finalist McIntyre (5min 26.354sec) missing the quality needed to claim the winning ribbon.

The Wairoa teen’s win also threw-out the challenge to brother Keith and father Paul as they launched their bids today in the Intermediate and Senior heats respectively. Keith Swann was up to the mark in his Thursday morning heats, and qualified comfortably for his grade’s semi-finals.

The titles are among 26 to be decided by the time the championships end with the open shearing final on Saturday night.

Swann is at one end of the vast age range which includes the 86-year-old sole-survivor of the inaugural 1961 Open final, Southlander Ian “Snow” Harrison, who arrived in Masterton late on Wednesday to prepare for his shear today in the Over 76 Evergreens event.

Bradley’s victory was her first as a woolhandler, but she already has an impressive record as a shearer, being No 1-ranked Junior nationally, male or female, in 2014-2015, and repeating the success in the Intermediate grade in 2016-2017.

Earlier this season she shore a personal best daily tally of 451 lambs, running out of sheep about 10 minutes before the end of what was to have been an 8hr day.

Uniquely, two of the four in her woolhandling final were from overseas, with second place going to Robyn Kraus, from Germany, and third to Grace Teate, who had earlier in the season won Novice finals on successive days at Dannevirke and Marton.

Golden Shears Novice shearing finalists await the final points in  instant prizegiving after their ig night in Masterton Wednesday, Second from right is eventual winner Ryuka Swann, of Wairoa.
PHOTO/Peter Nikolaison, Golden Shears.

Wairoa College pupil Ryka Swann, 14, with the prized ribbon and acclamation as Golden Shears Novice shearing champion for 2020.
PHOTO/Pete Nikolaison, Golden Shears.

The 2020 Golden Shears Novice woolhandling final lineup from left, Paewai Mullins representative and stadium commentator Tuma Mullins, winner Laura Bradley, runner-up Robyn Kraus, third-placed Grace Teate, and Shontaye Walker, fourth.
PHOTO/Pete Nikolaison  

Student Challenge winners Connor McIntyre and Zane Rogers pictured second and third from left after winning the title for Pukemiro Staton at the 60th Golden Shears, of Wednesday.
PHOTO/Pete Nikolaison, Golden Shears.

Too late – You may miss out

Golden Shears competitors are being warned to be ready for their events or risk missing their as officials try to keep a busy programme on track.

With the highest entries in many years, close to 480 competitors in total, officials have had to make the unkindest cut of all and tell competitors they are too late.

Starting at 7.45am on the second day of the 60th championships today, events were soon running behind time, and chief referee Ronnie King said: “Some competitors have already missed out…We’ve had to start without them.”

One competitor’s name was called four times, but didn’t appear until her heat had started.

All competitors are being told they must be present for the first call, which summons them to queue to register that they are present and receive their competition singlet.

Officials will have little option but to withdraw competitors who are not present for the registration and who do not respond ready for their heat.