Abraham scrapes into national circuit semi-finals

Masterton shearer Paerata Abraham has scraped-in with a chance to defend the PGG Wrightson National Circuit title during the 60th Golden Shears which start in Masterton tomorrow (Wednesday).

Abraham won the title, New Zealand transtasman series team selection and a year's free use of an Hyundai Santa Fe in the final on the last night of the 2019 Golden Shears.

But the chance of a repeat looked remote as he sat well off the pace and outside qualifying bracket of 12 heading into Sunday’s second-shear fifth and final preliminary round at the Pahiatua Shears.

After the first four rounds at Alexandra (merino), Waimate (longwool), Christchurch (corriedales) and Marton (lambs), he needed last round top-2 performance among the 25 series entrants, wotth either 12 or 11pts.

But it also needed an off-day for 12th and 13th placed shearers Leon Samuels, of Invercargill, and Ethan Pankhurst, of Masterton, each of whom managed just a single point on the day and were eliminated.

Abraham said he’d done his arithmetic and while the odds looked steep he knew he could do it, if the other tailenders weren’t able to get the necessary points in the last round, which was compulsory for those wanting to make the cut-off.

Paerata is one of four former winners of the multi-wools titles among the 12 for the semi-finals which will be shorn on Saturday morning, with the top six qualifying for the final on Saturday night.

They are 2010 winner Angus Moore, two-times winner John Kirkpatrick (2013 and 2018), and 2014 winner and top qualifier and Invercargill shearer Nathan Stratford. Also among the chosen dozen is Jack Fagan, the son of nine-times circuit winner Sir David Fagan.

There are also two other Wairarapa shearers in David Buick, of Pongaroa, and Hemi Braddick, of Eketahuna.

The circuit is in its 48th year, incorporating the McSkimming Memorial Triple Crown which was introduced to the Golden Shears programme in 1973.

Qualifying points for the PGG Wrightson National Shearing Circuit semi-finals: Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 49pts, 1; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 38pts, 2; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 32pts, 3; John Kirkpatrick (Pakipaki) 31pts, 4; Ant Frew (Pleasant Point) 30pts, 5; Aaron Haynes (Feilding) 30pts, 6; Troy Pyper (Invercargill/Amberley) 27pts, 7; David Buick (Pongaroa) 26pts, 8; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 25pts, 9; Angus Moore (Ward) 20pts, 10; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) and Ringakaha Paewai (Gore) 18pts, 11 equal.

Paerata Abraham shearing last year's final

The Hyundai Santa Fe driven by Paerata Abraham for the last year since winning the 2019 PGG Wrightson National Circuit final