Amazing Winning Sequence Continues For Young Masterton Shearer

Young Masterton shearer Adam Gordon continued one of the most promising starts to a shearing sports career when he won the Intermediate final at the Horowhenua A.P. and I. Show in Levin on Sunday.

Two years ago Gordon, became the first person to win Golden Shears shearing and woolhandling titles in the same year with a double on the opening day of the 2019 championships in Masterton. His shearing win followed in the footsteps of sister Cushla and brother David who had also won the Novice title.

Last summer he won five finals on the way to becoming the No 1-ranked Junior shearer nationwide, and he’s now won 8 out of 9 Intermediate finals, including four national titles in three successful trips to the South Island.

He started his Intermediate season in October with a win in the New Zealand Spring Shears in Waimate, and A and P show titles in Gisborne and Hastings over the next two weekends.

He continued the unbeaten run with a New Zealand Corriedales title at the Canterbury Shears, and Pleasant Point on successive days in November before his only defeat of the season, beaten a week later by brother Joseph Gordon at the Central Hawke’s Bay A and P Show in Waipukurau.

He again scored successive wins in two days at the Northern Southland Community Shears longwool championship near Lumsden and the Southland Shears New Zealand Crossbred lambs championship in Winton on January 15-16, leading into Sunday’s victory.

The Open and Senior finals at Levin also followed the form guide, with Hawke’s Bay shearer Rowland Smith and Taihape teenager backing-up from wins at Wairoa a week earlier, Smith winning the 20-sheep glamour final by 1.95pts from runner-up and Pongaroa farmer David Buick, who had won the national titles on ewes and on lambs in Southland the previous weekend.

The Junior final was won by occasional competitor Darren Bryant, of Levin.

The shears, the only shearing sports event in the North Island during the weekend, attracted 53 shearers, surprisingly more than the Wairoa A and P Show the previous weekend and including 17 in the Open class, and 14 in the Senior class.

RESULTS from the Horowhenua A.P. and I. Show Shears at Levin on Sunday, January 24, 2021:

Open final (20 sheep): Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 17min 11sec, 63.55pts, 1; David Buick (Pongaroa) 17min 24sec, 65.5pts, 2; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Dannevirke) 17min 55sec, 67.65pts, 3; Aaron Haynes (Feilding) 19min 23sec, 69.75pts, 4.

Senior final (10 sheep): Reuben Alabaster (Taihape) 11min 4sec, 43.7pts, 1; Kyle Mita (Masterton) 11min 33sec, 47.85pts, 2; Ruka Braddick (Eketahuna) 12min 33sec, 49.55pts, 3; Josef Winders (Winton) 12min 18sec, 51pts, 4.

Intermediate final (6 sheep): Adam Gordon (Masterton) 10min 18sec, 41.5667pts, 1; Logan Bethell (Takapau) 9min 35sec, 43.4167pts, 2; Matthew Smith (Otorohanga) 9min 52sec, 43.4333pts, 3; Heath Barnsdall (Pio Pio) 11min 21sec, 47.8833pts, 4.

Junior final (4 sheep): Darren Bryant (Levin) 7min 4sec, 33.2pts, 1; Michael Buick (Pongaroa) 8min 43sec, 35.4pts, 2; Aidan Grant (-) 7min 17sec, 36.85pts, 3; Josh Devane (Taihape) 9min 46sec, 39.3pts, 4.

Novice (2 sheep): Aaron Christensen (-) 7min 17sec, 42.85pts, 1; Charlie Heard (Masterton) 5min 56sec, 46.3pts, 2; Sam Mathewson (-) 8min 51sec, 46.55pts, 3.

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