Golden Shears: Sheer bliss

The Golden Shears and world shearing and woolhandling championships which came to a noisy conclusion in the War Memorial Stadium in Masterton on Saturday night were a huge success.

The weather gods did everything they could to test the patience of organisers of an event attracting competitors from 25 nations.

But apart from making a din on the tin roof the gale force winds and heavy rain had little effect on what was happening inside.

If anything it only added to the excitement, especially on Saturday night when a full house of about 1500 people, including Prime Minister John Key and Governor General Sir Jerry Mateparae, thoroughly exercised their vocal chords as a series of high profile finals were staged.

No doubt most of the crowd were anticipating a Kiwi blitz in the machine shearing and woolhandling world championship deciders but a Taranaki-based Scotsman in Gavin Mutch proved to be the party pooper.

In the six-man machine shearing final where 20 sheep over 3 different wool types were shorn Mutch finished 4secs ahead of defending champion, Waipawa's Cam Ferguson, and after time and quality points were counted he still had the lead, by just 0.068pts. Ferguson was second and fellow Kiwi John Kirkpatrick third.

Ferguson and Kirkpatrick had, however, earlier combined to win the world teams title and there was a quinella for the home nation in the woolhandling, Joel Henare from Gisborne winning the individual title at his very first attempt and combining with Joanne Kumeroa to win the teams' crown.

South Africa led the world in the blade shearing, the individual title going to Zweliwile Hans and the teams to Hans and Maysenzeke Shweni.

The Golden Shears open final in the machine shearing saw defending champion John Kirkpatrick recording one of the fastest finishing times in the 52-year history of the event, winning by more than 3pts from Ferguson, who had to settle for the bridesmaid role again. A tired Mutch was sixth.

The remarkable Kumeroa won the Golden Shears open woolhandling championship for the sixth time-and third in succession- while the Golden Shears blade shearing final went to South African Shweni who upset the more favoured Hans.