Smith's Challengers Line Up For New Zealand Shears Bid

Champion shearer Rowland Smith will go out favourite to complete a Golden Shears and New Zealand Shears Open championships double for an 8th time in Te Kuiti this week.

But, having secured the first of two New Zealand World Championships machine shearing berths by winning the Golden Shears title in Masterton again on March 4, Smith isn’t underestimating the job, having been beaten five times in finals this season and saying that he’s never seen such a line-up of contenders as there is challenging for the second place in the team which will be decided in about 16 minutes of shearing of Saturday night.

The New Zealand Shears, first held in 1985 and cancelled in 2020 and 2022 because of the Covid-19 crisis, start on Thursday and end on Saturday.

The Hawke’s Bay gun, who grew-up in Northland, agrees – “100 per cent” - there are at least six or seven who would not surprise if they were to make the cut, by beating Smith, or being the best of the New Zealanders in the field behind him

They are headed by another Northland shearer in Toa Henderson, who in winning 11 titles this season has beaten Smith in four finals and is well-placed to be Shearing Sports New Zealand’s No 1-ranked shearer for the season, based on points for placings.

As it happens he has not yet reached a Golden Shears or New Zealand Shears Open final, but on Saturday again highlighted the potential when he won the Waitomo Caves Sports Shears final, shearing the 20 sheep in 15min 50sec, beating next-man-off Smith by 24 seconds – more than half a sheep – and ultimately by 2.3pts on the scoreboard.

Also with the best overall quality points, it was a big achievement, with renowned quick shearers Digger Balme, of Otorohanga, and Leon Samuels, of Invercargill, also in the four-man final and each finishing more than a sheep behind the winner.

Samuels, who also shore with Smith in their second New Zealand team win over the Welsh Development team, having opened the three-match Wools of New Zealand Series with victory at the Waimarino Shears in Raetihi a week earlier, ranks as among those most seriously challenging for the second place in the ream for Scotland in June, having won two circuit finals on the Te Kuiti board in 2021, when the New Zealand Shears were last held.

Others include 2017 World Champion and 2008, 2009 and 2012 New Zealand Shears champion and 2021 runner-up John Kirkpatrick and World champion teams teammate Nathan Stratford, of Invercargill, Eketahuna shearer Hemi Braddick, fourth in 2021 and who has had his first two Open wins and was fourth at the Golden Shears among nine final this season.

Te Kuiti’s Jack Fagan has yet to reach his home-town final but has won national titles on Corriedales at Christchurch and lambs at Winton this season, second-time Golden Shears finalist Paerata Abraham and brother-in-law and fellow Masterton shearer and two-times Te Kuiti lower-grades winner David Gordon, and Te Kuiti shearer Mark Grainger, who shore the 2021 final’s 20 sheep in under 16 minutes.

Expected to be pushing them all is Scottish international, 2012 World champion, 2015 Golden Shears winner and Southern Hawke’s Bay farmer Gavin Mutch, who won major title the Waimate Spring Shears in October and has since won three other finals.

Two who have not entered and who would have been among the contenders are Golden Shears runner-up Angus Moore, of Ward, in Marlborough, and former Golden Shears runner-up and Manawatu shearer Aaron Haynes, and Mataura shearer Brett Roberts, who was fifth at Te Kuiti in 2021..

Masterton shearer Adam Gordon won Saturday’s Senior Waitomo Caves final, turning the tables on Piopio shearer Clay Harris, to whom he had been runner-up at the Golden Shears, Wairoa shearer Bruce Grace scored his eighth Intermediate win of the season by 1.3pts from Sean Fagan, of Te Kuiti, with England shearer Callum Bosley placed third, and the Junior final provided a first win for Arvell Rapana, of Raetihi.

At Te Kuiti, the Open shearers also have the New Zealand Shears Circuit and North Island Shearer of the Year titles to shear for, with Smith a contender to repeat the treble he claimed in 2017.

Four-times Open woolhandling champion Joel Henare confirmed on Monday he won’t be defending the title, while nine-times winner Sheree Alabaster has also confirmed she will not be competing because of other commitments.

Their absences would open up the opportunities for local and Golden Shears runner-up Keryn Herbert, a Master Woolhandler, New Zealand 2010 World teams champion, and 2023 Cook Islands World Championships selection Keryn Herbert, who is yet to win a Golden Shears or New Zealand Open title, while others in contention include Candy Hiri, of Gore, and Ngaio Hanson, of Eketahuna, who in Masterton won the two New Zealand woolhandling berths at the World Championships.

Hanson’s sister, Ana Braddick, will also compete, after finishing third in the Golden Shears final, as will Napier-based Jasmin Tipoki, from Martinborough, who was fourth in Masterton.

Among other entries is 2013 winner Hanatia Tipene, the only winner of the New Zealand Shears Open woolhandling title apart from Henare and Alabaster since 2009.

It will be the last woolhandling show of the season, and the first in four weeks since the Golden Shears. Leading Senior contenders are expected to be 2021 Junior winner and 2023 Golden Shears Senior champion Rahera Kerr, of Hauturu, and Taumarunui sisters Te Anna and Vinniye Phillips.

RESULTS from the Waitomo Caves Sports Shears on Saturday, March 25, 2023:

Open final (20 sheep) Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 15min 50sec, 53.25pts, 1; Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 16min 14sec, 55.55pts, 2; Digger Balme (Otorohanga) 17min 50sec, 61.6pts, 3; Leon Samuels (Invercargill) 16min 51sec, 62.2pts, 4.

Senior final (10 sheep): Adam Gordon (Masterton) 11min 24sec, 40.7pts, 1; Clay Harris (Piopio) 11min, 40.8pts, 2; Cory Barrowcliffe (Piopio) 11min 21sec, 41.75pts, 3; Tama Nahona (Whanganui/Kaiwaka) 11min 13sec, 42.25pts, 4.

Intermediate final (4 sheep): Bruce Grace (Wairoa) 5min 39sec, 22.95pts, 1; Sean Fagan (Te Kuiti) 6min 0.08sec, 24.25pts, 2; Callum Bosley (England) 6min 0.9sec, 28pts, 3; Matthew Smith (Ototohanga) 6min 17sec, 29.35pts, 4.

Junior final (3 sheep): Arvell Rapana (Raetihi) 5min 0.02sec, 27.33pts, 1; Sam Parker (Raglan) 5min 57sec, 28.52pts, 2; Maaka Nikora (Taumarunui) 5min 29sec, 33.12pts, 3; Devon Ball (Te Kuiti) 8min 33sec, 33.32pts, 4.

Novice final (2 sheep): Kaivah Cooper (Napier) 5min 13sec, 23.65pts, 1; Sam Fletcher (Havelock North) 5min 36sec, 32.3pts, 2; Taylor Te Ahuru (Taumarunui) 4min 48sec, 34.4pts, 3; Malcolm Nahona (Whanganui) 7min 57sec, 37.35pts, 4.

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