National Shearing Circuit Resurrected After Golden Shears Cancellation

The national multibreeds shearing circuit finals, which looked to have become a non-event this year amid the cancellation of the Golden Shears in Masterton, will now be held at the New Zealand Shears in Te Kuiti next month.

The move was announced today by circuit committee chairman Warren White, of Waimate, after agreement was reached with Golden Shears representatives and the New Zealand Shears which was able to consider the matter at its regular meeting this week.

Shearing Sports New Zealand chairman Sir David Fagan congratulated the circuit organisers and Golden Shears and New Zealand Shears organisers for agreeing and “making it happen.”

He said it wouldn’t have happened without the support of merinos provider and Central Otago breeder Alan Paterson.

It follows the cancellation of usual last qualifying-round host the Pahiatua Shears, which were to have been held last Sunday, and the Golden Shears, which were to have started yesterday and ended tomorrow, including the 12-shearer circuit semi-finals and the final.

The New Zealand Shears shearing and woolhandling championships, a casualty of last year’s Covid-19 lockdown, are to be held on April 8-10, with the Open shearing championship heats on the Friday, now replacing the lost Pahiatua round and to be followed by the semi-finals and final – making a busy two days for the country’s top shears, with the NZ Shears Circuit and Open Championships already on the programme.

Both the Pahiatua Shears and the New Zealand Shears Open championships’ are shorn on second-shear sheep, one of the five wool types in the series, which had its difficulties earlier in the season with the cancellation of traditional opener the New Zealand Merino Championships in Alexandra.

White’s Waimate Shears then picked up the challenge, staging the finewool round as the New Zealand Winter Comb Championship at the Waimate Shears, along with its own round on long strongwool.

The third round went ahead at the Canterbury Shears New Zealand Corriedales Championships, which were held at Marble Point Station after the cancellation of the New Zealand Agricultural Show in Christchurch, and the fourth round was on lambs at Marton four weeks ago.

The series is currently led by Hawke’s Bay-based Scotland international Gavin Mutch, who in 2012 won the World title in Masterton and three years later became the first and-still only shearer from overseas to win the Golden Shears Open Final.

No shearer from overseas has won the Circuit, which marks its 50th year next year and is based on the McSkimming Memorial Triple Crown, first contested in 1972-1973.

It has been known mainly by various sponsor name, most latterly as the PGG Wrightson Wool Circuit from 2003 to 2020.

Reigning two- times champion and Marlborough shearer Angus Moore, currently third, and one of 10 National Circuit winners from the South Island, won’t be defending the title, having set his sights on the Golden Shears, with other plans for his shearing business and family for the rest of the season.

National Shearing Circuit points and placings after four of the five qualifying rounds: Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Dannevirke), 31pts, 1; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill), 29pts, 2; Angus Moore (Seddon), 28pts, 3; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) and Brett Roberts (Mataura), 24pts, 4 equal; Ringakaha Paewai (Gore), 20pts, 6; John Kirkpatrick (Pakipaki), 18pts, 7 Troy Pyper (Cheviot), Axle Reid (Taihape) and Leon Samuels (Invercargill), 17pts, 8 equal; Simon Goss (Mangamahu), 14pts, 11; Matene Mason (Masterton), 13pts, 12; James Ruki (Te Kuiti), 12pts, 13; Aaron Haynes (Feilding), 11pts, 14; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna), Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) and David Gordon (Masterton), 10pts, 15 equal; Duncan Higgins (Blenheim) and Jimmy Samuels (Marton), 9pts, 18 equal; Lionel Taumata (Gore), 8pts, 20; Paul Hodges (Geraldine), 6pts, 21; Chris Vickers (Palmerston), 4pts, 22; Sarah Higgins (Blenhim), Alex Smith (Rakaia), Ricci Stevens (Napier) and Phil Wedd (Silverdale), 3pts, 23 equal; David Gower (Stratford) and Tamihana Karauria (Alexandra), 2pts, 27 equal.

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