Speedshears, Records And Shows

Abraham gets big shearing week off to a flyer in Te Kuiti

Masterton shearer Paerata Abraham has started a big week in shearing sports with three sub-20seconds flyers and his second win in last night's (Friday night's) the Beau St George Memorial North Island Speedshear Championship final at the Waitete rugby club in Te Kuiti.

Abraham, who won the event three years ago when the trophy, was presented for the first time, following St George’s death in a car crash in France in April 2017, had the fastest time of the 26 shearers in the Open-class heats, the fastest time of the night with a 19.76sec flyer in the semi-final, and the final-winning time of 19.86sec.

Also claiming a $2000 first prize, Abraham beat fellow speedshear specialist Jimmy Samuels, of Marton, by 0.56sec, and third place went to Aidan Copp, from Christchurch, normally based in Australia, and currently working for Te Kuiti contractor Neil Fagan, driving from a stay-out shed near Raetihi to compete.

Shearing in front of a full-house crowd at the home club of late All Blacks rugby great Sir Colin Meads, Copp was one of at least six in the field who have held World records, shearin fron.

Competition organiser and Te Kuiti shearer Jack Fagan, who won the first Speedshear of the New Year at Tokomaru Bay on January 2, was 6th in the 6-man final.

The Senior final was won by Taumarunui shearer George Birkett, with a final time of 22.08sec.

The big week continues today (Saturday) with the first show competition in the country since the first week of December, with the Peninsula Duvauchelle Shears, and the long-running Te Puna Speedshear tonight, near Tauranga.

The focus turns to Southland later in the week, with Gore shearer Megan Whitehead’s attempt on the World women’s solo nine-hours lamb shearing record on Thursday, the Northern Southland Community Shears on Friday, incorporating the national longwool shearing and woolhandling titles, and the Winton A and P Show’s Southland Shears next Saturday, incorporating the national crossbred lambs shearing and woolhandling titles.

Also in Southland will be three more speedshears, at the Otautau Railway Hotel on Thursday, Winton’s Middle Pub on Friday and Colac Bay next Saturday, while on the Saturday there will also be shearing competitions at the Kaikoura, Wairoa and Takaka A and P shows.

Results of the North Island Speedshear Chamionship:

Open final: Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 19.86sec, 1; Jimmy Samuels (Marton) 20.42sec, 2; Bryce Guy (Kaeo) 21.32sec, 3; Aidan Copp (Christchurch) 21.34sec, 4; Digger Balme (Otorohanga) 21.88se, 5; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 22.92sec, 6.

Senior final: George Birkett (Taumarunui) 22.08sec, 1; Reuben Alabaster (Taihape) 22.92sec, 2; Cory Barrowcliffe

(Pio Pio) 23.06sec, 3; Forde Alexander (Taumarunui) 25.52sec, 4; Junior Orica (Whanganui) 28.42sec, 5; Quin Chase (Taumarunui) 6.

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