World Champ Kiwis Win Transtasman Wool Test

World champion woolhandlers Sheree Alabaster and Pagan Karauria made it three from three together in the black teeshirt and a transtasman double for the season as they beat Australia in a woolhandling test match at the 60th Golden Shears in Masterton last night (Friday).

The pair first represented their country together with Karauria’s debut at last July’s World championships in France, where they won the teams title.

They followed that with victory over Australia in the first leg of the summer’s home-and-away matches at the Australian National Championships in Dubbo, NSW, in November, and in Alabaster’s 11th transtasman test last night’s comfortable win over experienced visiting team Rachel Hutchison, NSW, and West Australia based, New Zealand-born Aroha Garvin.

In a tumultuous 12 months for Karauria, the latest was a particularly big moment, emulating the achievements of both father and shearer Dion Morrell and mother and woolhandler Tina Rimene who had each also represented New Zealand in transtasman tests on the Masterton stage.

It was also a dream appearance for Garvin, who won the Golden Shears Open woolhandling title in 1988, 1990 and 1991, and who won her place in the test with her performance at the Australian national championships, and who was rapt to be back for the celebration of 60 years of the World’s premier annual shearing and woolhandling championships.

It was New Zealand’s 33rd win in 43 tests against Australia since woolhandling was added to transtasman competition in 1998.

It was also a big night for Masterton woolpresser, Vinnie Goodger who successfully defended all three titles he won at the 2019 championships.

He beat Open-grade shearer Ricci Stevens, of Napier, in the men’s woolpressing final, teamed with brother Jeremy Goodger to beat fellow Masterton brothers Adam and Joseph Gordon in the Pairs, and also won the Triathlon, the Ironman event of the Golden Shears for competitors appearing in all three disciplines of shearing, woolhandling and pressing.

The Women’s pressing title went to globetrotting Scots-Kiwi Emily Te Kapa, daughter of late shearing legend Joe Te Kapa, and the Novice title was won by Cody Lambert, of Palmerston North.

Well-travelled World champion bladeshearer Allan Oldfield, of Geraldine, won the 60th anniversary bladeshearing event by seven points from Isaac Duckmanton, of Okuku, with third place going to Oamaru veteran Peter Casserly, 72.

Casserley is best known for a World blades record of 353 sheep in nine hours in 1976 and guest-appearances fleecing over-wooled ovine Shrek of 27kg of wool in 2004 and Suzy’s 550mm staple in 2018.

RESULTS from the night session of the third day of the 60th Golden Shears being held in Masterton from March 4-7, 2020:

Transtasman woolhandling test: New Zealand (Sheree Alabaster, Pagan Karauria) 280pts beat Australia (Aroha Garvin, Racheal Hutchison) 373.5pts.

Blades shearing (3 sheep): Allan Oldfield (Geraldine) 8min 59.075sec, 38.954pts, 1; Isaac Duckmanton (Okuku) 9min 19.663sec, 45.983pts, 2; Peter Casserley (Oamaru) 12min 12.346sec, 47.95pts, 3; Phil Oldfield(Geraldine) 10min 26.161sec, 54.975pts, 4; Katie Reid (Scotland) 14min 19.107sec, 73.955pts, 5; Allan Grant (Scotland/Carterton) 12min 10.812sec, 80.541pts, 6.

Woolpressing:

Men’s final: Vinnie Goodger (Masterton) 42.95pts, 1; Ricci Stevens (Napier) 56.1pts, 2.

Pairs: Vinnie Goodger and Jeremy Godger (Masterton) 32.2pts, 1; Adam Gordon and Joseph Gordon (Masterton) 58.45pts, 2.

Women’s final: Emily Te Kapa (Scotland) 83.75pts, 1; Koko Namana (Masterton) 161pts, 2.

Novice: Cody Lambert (Palmerston North) 55.85pts, 1; Jarlen Benoini (Pongaroa) 59.85pts, 2; Bigga Hughes (Taumarunui) 69.5pts, 3; Quentin Miller (Pongaroa) 71.55pts, 4.

Triathlon (points in shearing, woolhandling, pressing): Vinnie Goodger (Masterton) 136.288pts, 1; Jimmy Samuels (Marton) 173.092pts, 2; Conan Gray-Harmon (Masterton) 179.16pts, 3.

Quality awards:

Shearing heats: Junior – Adam Gordon (Masterton) 2.5pts, 1; Intermediate – Joseph Gordon (Masterton) 5.5pts; Senior – Isaac Duckmanton (Okuku) 4pts; Open – Rowland Smith (Hastings) 4pts.

Women’s shearing: Junior - Renee Biggs (Mangamahu) 3.5pts, 1; Intermediate – Nicki Guttler (Australia) 8.75pts; Senior – Laura Bradley (Woodville) 6.2pts; Open – Emily Welch (Waikaretu) 11.833pts.

Woolhandling heats: Junior – Awhina Edmonds (Masterton) 40pts, 1; Senior – Sunnie Te Whare (Ohai) and Tamara Marshall (Waikaretu) 43pts; Open – Emaraina Braddick (Eketahuna) 65pts. Les Field Memorial Trophy: Awhina Edmonds.

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