Shearing Champs At Apiti - Gateway To The Ruahine Ranges

About 1100 sheep have been prepared for last-show-standing the Apiti and District Show shearing and woolhandling championships in the Central North Island tomorrow (Saturday).

Organiser Russell Knight says more than 150 competitors took part last year, including 119 shearers.

But this year it is just the fourth and last of the 32 shearing sports competitions originally scheduled for the North Island this summer. The Covid-19 crisis forced the cancellation of the other 28, and 17 of those which were to have been held in the South Island.

Knight says the usual numbers of sheep have had to be prepared, despite the possibility of a significant decline in the numbers of competitors based on the experiences of other championships since the Horowhenua Shears in Levin finally got the season in the North Island under way five weeks ago.

But assuring a high-class Open shearing grade will be the participation of an expected 18 competitors in the last two rounds of the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit, including several from the South Island.

The lambshearing second-shear rounds would normally have been held at the Rangitikei Shearing Sports and the Pahiatua Shears, both of which have been cancelled.

Apiti is now compulsory for competitors to be eligible for the top 12 to go to the Circuit finals day on March 5, which with the Golden Shears also cancelled will be at Armidale Merino Stud, near Gimmerburn, in Central Otago.

As part of the desperate efforts to to complete the Circuit alive, in its 50th year and with three rounds already held in the South Island in October-November, the Apiti shearing has had on-line entries for the first time.

Only those with vaccination passes will be admitted to the grounds, about 40km northeast of Feilding via State Highway 54 and Kimbolton Rd in a pastoral farming area also now known by tourists and trampers as a gateway to the Ruahine Ranges.

As a further precaution, to limit numbers on-site at any one time, organisers are departing from the usual practice of having most of the nine finals at the end of the day by staging events in brackets from heats through to finals, starting with Novice and Junior classes from 8am.

The championships take place on an open-side six-stand board, with cover and shade for spectators, but social distancing and mask-wearing compliance will be needed.

The PGG Wrightson National Shearing Circuit has been given a boost with a TAB decision to stagg two betting pools, which opened yesterday. In one pool punters can wager on who will win the final, and in the other who will make the top three.

The Circuit is currently headed by Southland shearer and 2014 Circuit champion Nathan Stratford, who is also the defending champion in the Apiti Open Shearing, and who is the TAB’s favourite for the ultimate prize, quoted at $1.70 to win the Circuit when the pool opened.

Defending circuit champion Leon Samuels, also from Southland is the second favourite.

The PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit started at Alexandra in October with 23 entries, but no more than 18 are expected to compete at Apiti. Provisional points, based on placings in the heats at each show and with tied-points placing based on placings in the heats at Alexandra, are: 1. Nathan Stratford 34pts; 2.Troy Pyper (Cheviot) 21pts; 3. Ethan Pankhurst (Masterton) 21pts; 4. David Gordon (Masterton) 21pts; 5. Hugh De Lacy (Rangiora) 21pts; 6. Brett Roberts (Mataura) 20pts; 7. Leon Samuels (Invercargill) 20pts; 8. Ringakaha Paewai (Gore) 14; 9.Alex Smith (Rakaia) 10pts; 10. Casey Bailey (Riverton) 10pts; 11. Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 9pts; 12 Matene Mason (Masterton) 9pts; 13. Lionel Taumata (Gore) 8pts; 14. Willy McSkimming (Oamaru) 8pts; 15. Aaron Haynes (Feilding) 7pts; 16. Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 7pts; 17. Jimmy Samuels (Marton) 5pts; 18. Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 3pts; 19. Phil Wedd (Silverdale) 3pts; 20. Duncan Higgins (Blenheim) 2pts; 21. James Ruki (Te Kuiti) 2pts; 22. Paul Hodges (Geraldine) 2pts; 23. Beau Guelfi (Gisborne) 1pt.

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