Smith and Henare off to good start at Lumsden

Smith and Henare off to good start at Lumsden

Reigning World champion shearer Rowland Smith and 2012 champion woolhandler Joel Henare each got their bids for another shot at the big title when they won their respective finals at the Northern Southland Community Shears on yesterday(Frriday).

The events doubled as the opening rounds of a tough New Zealand team selection series which doesn’t end until November, when two machine shearers, two woolhandlers and two bladeshearers will be named to represent New Zealand at the next World shearing and woolhandling championships in Invercargill’s ILT Stadium on February 9-11, 2017.

Points will be awarded for placings during the six rounds, which include the Golden Shears in Masterton in March and the New Zealand Championships soon afterwards in Te Kuit. The top competitors in the six rounds will contest New Zealand team selection finals at the Canterbury Show.

Yesterday, Smith won a six-man Northern Southland Open final at North Range, despite the attempts by Taranaki farmer and 2012 World champion Gavin Mutch to blow the race apart by shearing his 20-sheep in 17min 53sec, beating Smith off the board by 52 seconds.

Smith was able to maintain the quality to ultimately win by just over a point from Southland hope Nathan Stratford, a New Zealand representative striving for World Championships selection for the first time.

Two-times World teams champion and 2014 Northern Southland shears winner John Kirkpatrick, of Napier, was third, as he continued the comeback from a shoulder injury and operation which kept him out of most of last season. Second Southland hope and 2000 World championships representative Darin Forde was fourth, and rising prospect Aaron Haynes, of Feilding was fifth.

Mutch, a Scotsman and therefore not eligible to represent New Zealand, sacrificed quality and had to settle for sixth place.

Henare, from Gisborne, was made to work hard for his win in the woolhandling final at Lumsden Hills. Being first to finish, he scraped home by a narrow margin from defending champion Pagan Rimene, with Monica Potae, of Milton, third, and Rimene’s sister, Larnie Morrell, of Masterton, fourth.

Top 2014-2015 Intermediate shearer Kaleb Foote, of Waikaretu and who was runner-up at the Golden Shears last March and winner of a New Zealand title at Te Kuiti a few weeks later, claimed his first win in New Zealand after being promoted grade with a commanding win by almost seven points over Jacob Moore, of Marton, in the Senior final.

Southland competitors cleaned up the lower grades, with Lionel Taumata, from Taumarunui but based in Gore, and Wyndham’s Jesse Barclay winning the Intermediate and Junior shearing finals respectively, and Sharon Tuhakaraina and Waimarama Manukau, both of Gore, winning the Senior and Junior woolhandling finals respectively.

The second rounds of the selection series are today (Saturday) at the Southland Shears, incorporating the national crossbred lambs shearing and woolhandling championships at the Winton A and P Show.

Shearing competitions are also taking place today at the Kaikohe, Wairoa and Golden Bay shows.

Shearing, at North Range:

Open final (20 sheep): Rowland Smith (Hastings/Ruawai) 18min 45sec, 67.5pts, 1; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 19min 57sec, 68.7pts, 2; John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 20min 1sec, 72.5pts, 3; Darin Forde (Winton) 19min 27sec, 73.15pts, 4; Aaron Haynes (Feilding) 19min 39sec, 73.7pts, 5; Gavin Mutch (Whangamomona/Scotland) 17min 53sec, 74.1pts, 6.

Senior final (12 sheep): Kaleb Foote (Waikaretu) 16min 9sec, 59.45pts, 1; Jacob Moore (Marton) 15min 50sec, 66.166pts, 2; Hayden Tapp (Taihape) 15min 1sec, 68.8pts, 3; Stuart Davidson (Scotland) 14min 38sec, 70.317pts, 4; Lloyd Rees (Wales) 14min 36sec, 71.634pts, 5; Paul Hodges (Geraldine) 19min 9sec, 72.283pts, 6.

Intermediate final (8 sheep): Lionel Taumata (Gore) 12min 23sec, 48.65pts, 1; Jade Maguire (Mataura) 12min 59sec, 52.7pts, 2; Alex Smith (Rakaia) 13min 46sec, 55.925pts, 3; Joel Malcolm (Te Anau)12min 15sec, 58.625pts, 4; Hemi Lambert (Napier) 12min 41sec, 64.425pts, 5; Wayne Malcolm (Winton) 14min 43sec, 69.775pts, 6.

Junior final (5 sheep): Jesse Barclay (Wyndham) 10min 5sec, 49.65pts, 2; Brandon Maguire Ratima (Winton) 12min 18sec, 53.9pts, 1; Sarah Higgins (Havelock) 14min 5sec, 56.65pts, 3; James Dickson (Gore) 10min 5sec, 64.05pts, 4; Augustin Cairy-Remonna (France) 10min 45sec, 72.85pts, 5; Jonah Collins (Mataura) 13min 56sec, 104pts, 6.

Woolhandling, at Lumsden Hills:

Open final: Joel Henare (Gisborne) 131.412pts, 1; Pagan Rimene (Alexandra) 135.28pts, 2; Monica Potae (Milton) 157.78pts, 3; Larnie Morrell (Masterton) 197.45pts, 4.

Senior final: Sharon Tuhakaraina (Gore) 160.91pts, 1; Erica Henare (Balfour) 166.44pts, 2; Maiden Elers (Mataura) 177.75pts, 3; Nova Kumeroa Elers (Mataura) 282.06pts, 4.

Junior final: Waimarama Manukau (Gore) 148.756pts, 1; Shani Newton (Alexandra) 167.59pts, 2; Nicole Bailey (Riverton) 178.186pts, 3; Phoebe Kershaw (Lumsden) 195.31pts, 4.

ENDS

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