Sponsor gets a go with the shears at Arapohue show

Even the sponsor got involved when the Northern Wairoa A and P Show shearing on Saturday at Arapohue, near Dargaville.

ANZ Bank representative Stacey Baillie was a key figure in establishing the ANZ Bank Northland Teams Championship held for the first time last year and now credited with helping increase entries at some shearing contests in the region by as much as 100 per cent.

But it was only on Friday that she had her first lesson in sheep shearing, per shows stalwart and Kaukapakapa farmer, lined up in the Novice event.

No one expected her to win, or even make the three-shearer final, but competition organisers said that just the fact that she had entered the competition attracted one of the greatest rounds of applause on the day.

Sidwell, who took to shearing just out of school in 1958, further enhanced his standing as the man to provide the tutorial by winning Saturday’s Veterans event, which attracted seven of the 29 who competed across the grades.

Mobile shearing stand operator won a 20-sheep Open final, beating runner-up, veteran Northland shows winner and home-show hope Neville Osborne by almost a point, although Osborne had won the race by more than a sheep, finishing in 18min 41sec.

Wedd has won at the first three shows in the Northland series, adding the Arapohue win to previous victories at Kaikohe last month and Paparoa on February 2.

RESULTS from the Northern Wairoa A and P Show Shears at Arapohue on Saturday, February 9, 2019:

Open final (20 sheep): Phill Wedd (Napier/Silverdale) 19min 58sec, 73.3pts, 1; Neville Osborne (Dargavlle) 18min 41sec, 74.25pts, 2; Gary Rix (Dargaville) 23min 52sec, 85.05pts, 3.

Senior final (10 sheep): Stefan van Oorschott (Kaikohe) 12min 22sec, 48.45pts, 2; Dan Berger (Ahuroa) 12min 52sec, 50.7pts, 2; Lee Cheyne (Te Kauwhata) 13min 59sec, 54.65pts.

Intermediate final (6 sheep): Michael Boyd (Dargaville) 8min 28sec, 35.9pts, 1; Alan Boler (Wellsford) 8min 29sec, 37.61pts, 2; Rex Finlayson (Kai Iwi Lakes) 9min 10sec, 50.71pts, 3.

Junior final (3 sheep): Tommy Stevenson (Tangowahine) 6min 52sec, 36.6pts,1; Hazel Wood (Ruawai) 8min 14sec, 36.7pts, 2; Danielle Boyd (Dargaville) 7min 40sec, 39.67pts, 3.

Novice final (2 sheep): Gus Berger (Ahuroa) 9min 29sec, 45.95pts, 1; Rani Davis (Dargaville) 7min 19sec, 49.45pts, 2; Trestan Rix (Dargaville) 8min 39sec, 8min 39sec, 53.95pts, 3.

Veterans (3 sheep): Neil Sidwell (Kaukapakapa) 4min 45sec, 29.25pts, 1; Rex Finlayson (Kai Iwi Lakes) 5min 10sec, 29.91pts, 2; Lee Cheyne (Te Kauwhata) 4min 32sec, 29.94pts, 3; Richard Dampney (Kaikohe) 4; Jeff Wood (Ruawai) 5.

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