First South Island Win For Northland Shearer Toa Henderson

If Northland shearer Toa Henderson hadn’t already signalled his presence as a challenger for the major shearing titles this summer he did so when he won the Otago Shears Open final on Saturday at Carterhope Estate woolshed, near Balclutha.

From Kaiwaka, in Northland, it was his first win in the South Island, and his second win in five days over defending Golden Shears and New Zealand Shears opens champion Rowland Smith from Hawke’s Bay.

It was the traditional first show on the pathway to the Golden Shears Open, in Masterton, where Henderson will be bidding for a place in the final for the first time as the World’s most-famed shearing event bounces back after two years of Covid-19 cancellations.

Next in line is the Southern Shears in Gore this Friday and, after which most of the leading contenders will head back to the North Island for the pre-Shears procession of the Taumarunui Shears (February 25), Apiti Sports Shears (February 25) and Pahiatua Shears (February 26).

The 32-year-old Henderson is increasingly well-primed, with now six wins this season, at the Central Hawke’s Bay and Stratford A and P shows in November, Northland shows at Whangarei and Kaihohe in December and January, and the Aria Waitangi Day Sports and Otago in the last week. He’s been in finals just once this season.

Henderson was first to finish on Saturday’s final, shearing the 20 sheep on the curved, six-stand Carterhope board in 17min12.37sec and beating second-man-off and overall runner-up Leon Samuels, of Invercargill, by 29 seconds.

Mataura shearer Brett Roberts made gallant return from a significant hand injury which ended his national crossbreds lambs title run mid-final at Winton on January 21 and finishing next in 17min 40.88sec.

With also the second-best shearing and quality points, Henderson won by 1.7pts from Samuels, with best-of-final quality points of Nathan Stratford, also of Invercargill, enabling him to beat Smith for third place.

Roberts, a winner in all four grades at Balclutha over the years was fifth, and Masterton shearer David Gordon, a winner in all five grades from Novice to Open nationwide, was sixth in his sixth Open final in the eight shows he’s contested in the New Year.

It was also a big day for champion woolhandler Joel Henare, who won the Otago Shears’ New Zealand Woolhandler of the Year Open final for a 13th time – five times consecutively in 2008-2012 and eight times consecutively in 2015-2023 (there was no competition in 2022).

In Masterton on March 2-4 he will be targeting a ninth consecutive win in the Golden Shears Open woolhandling, in which his 2018 win was the 100th of his Open-class career. Despite toying with retirement, he’s won another 29, but he’s bypassing a chance to go for a third World individual title this year as he focuses on the futures of his children.

Candy Hiri, of Mataura was runner-up on Saturday, boosting yet again her chances for a place in the woolhandling team selection series final, which will also be held at the Golden Shears, and third place went to local South Otago woolhandler Cheri Peterson.

In other finals, Clay Harris, of Piopio, repeated an Aria and Balclutha Senior shearing double, Australian Doltan Harris had his first New Zealand win in the Intermediate final and Cody Waihape, of Mataura, won the Junior title by just 0.1395pts from runner-up and Rangiora shearer Lydia Thomson, who was gunning for a ninth final win this season.

Charis Morrell, of Alexandra, won the Senior woolhandling final, and Chloe Henderson, from Feilding, had her first win, in the Junior woolhandling final.

RESULTS from the Otago Shears shearing and Woolhandling Championships at Carterhope Estate woolshed, Balclutha, on Saturday, February 11, 2023:

Shearing:

Open final (20 sheep): Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 17min 12.37sec, 56.7185pts, 1; Leon Samuels (Invercargill) 17min 31.37sec, 58.4185pts, 2; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 18min 17.12sec, 58.806pts, 3; Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 17min 46.47sec, 58.8735pts, 4; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 17min 40.88sec, 60.294pts, 5; David Gordon (Masterton) 18min 45.62sec, 63.781pts, 6.

Senior final (12 sheep): Clay Harris (Piopio) 13min 53.97sec, 44.4485pts, 1; Adam Gordon (Masterton) 14min 20.9sec, 48.8783pts, 2; Alex Clapham (Manchester, England) 14min 37.1sec, 50.0217pts, 2; Josef Winders (Invercargill) 14min 17.19sec, 50.7288pts, 4; Gabriel Winders (Invercargill) 15min 24.87sec, 56.2435pts, 5; James Wilson (Ryall Bush) 16min 23.78sec, 60.2723pts, 6.

Intermediate final (5 sheep): Doltan Austin (Edenhope, Vic) 7min 10.65sec, 29.3325pts, 1; Jack Pringle (Balclutha) 8min 24.35sec, 30.2175pts, 2; Lachlan Reichelt (Adelaide, S.A.) 7min 49.21sec, 3 .8635pts, 3; Destiny Paikea (Heriot) 8min 59.16sec, 31.558pts, 4; Jordan White (Balclutha) 8min 18.5sec, 32.525pts, 5; Ged Leerson (Colac, Vic) 7min 35.56sec, 35.778pts, 6.

Junior final (4 sheep): Cody Waihape (Mataura) 8mi 9.12sec, 32.206pts, 1; Lydia Thomson (Rangiora) 8min 6.91sec, 32.3455pts, 2; Emma Martin (Gore) 8min 28.41sec, 33.6705pts, 3; James Hogan (Invercargill) 9min 16.47sec, 38.5735pts, 4; Gethin Williams (Henllan, Wales) 8min 3.28sec, 39.664pts, 5; Connor Wilkinson (Wyndham) 10min 12.65sec, 40.3825pts, 6.

New Zealand Woolhandler of the Year:

Open final: Joel Henare (Gisborne/Motueka): 102.224pts, 1; Candy Hiri (Mataura) 126.694pts, 2; Heaven Little (Balclutha) 163.462pts, 3; Cheri Peterson (Milton) 186.35pts, 4.

Senior final: Charis Morrell (Alexandra) 127.63spts, 1; Krome Elers (Mataura) 145.06pts, 2; Autumn Waihape (Mataura) 156.912pts, 3; Stoneigh Waihape (Mataura) 183.404pts, 4.

Junior final: Chloe Henderson 168.06pts (Feilding) 1; Alisha Casserley (-) 183.914pts, 2; Whakapunake (Naki) Maraki (Flaxmere/Feilding) 194.132pts, 3.

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