Win No 127 For Woolhandler Henare

Champion woolhandler Joel Henare took his career tally of Open final wins to 127 with his sixth New Zealand Corriedales Shearing and Woolhandling Championships title on Friday.

In his 17th season in the top class, the win on the first day of the championships at the New Zealand Agricultural Show in Christchurch followed previous wins in the event in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018 and last year.

From Gisborne but now living in Motueka, it was also his fourth win in five competitions this season, although he had planned to compete in only selected competition and did not enter the Wools of New Zealand team selection series, bypassing the chance to win a third individual World title in Scotland next year.

The runner-up was Masterton woolhandler Cushla Abraham, continuing a new run of form which has brought two wins this season, including the New Zealand Merino Shears title which claimed her a place in the New Zealand team for a transtasman test in Bendigo, Vic., on November 24.

In a final of all-Elite Wool Industry Training crew, company officer manager and head of digital marketing Kelly Macdonald, of Domett, was third.

Gore woolhandler Autumn Hiri’s long wait for another victory was rewarded with victory in the Senior final, her first win since claiming the Junior title at the New Zealand Merino Shears in Alexandra in 2016, a six-year gap which included about four years in Australia.

The Junior woolhandling final provided a first win for Natalie Albert, from Turangi and working at Seddon in Marlborough.

The championships attracted 22 woolhandlers, including 10 in the Open grade, missing several top competitors opting for the next round of the World Championships selection series on Saturday.

Results from the first day of the 2022 New Zealand Corriedale Shearing and Woolhandling Championships at the New Zealand Agricultural Show in Christchurch on November 10, 2022:

Woolhandling:

Open final: Joel Henare (Gisborne/Motueka) 115.394pts, 1; Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 130.388pts, 2; Kelly McDonald (Domett) 231.03pts, 3; Logan Kamura (Marton) 4.

Senior final: Autumn Hiri (Gore) 152.62pts, 1; Charlotte Stuart (Omarama) 200.88pts, 2; Michelle White (-) 213.6pts, 3; Jess Toa (4) 4.

Junior final: Natalie Albert (Seddon) 200.35pts, 1; Trish Booth (Christchurch) 227.19pts, 2; Skyanne Edwards (Seddon) 231.09pts, 3.

Teams: Herlihy Shearing 136.222pts, 1; Proshear Ltd 167.338pts, 2; Pullin Shearing 227.225pts, 3.

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