Grainger man to beat

Mark Grainger, aiming to emulate father's success at 2016 Golden Shears. PHOTO/PETE NIKOLAISON

Te Kuiti shearer Mark Grainger took possibly his best step forward towards emulating his father's 1985 Golden Shears open triumph when he beat reigning Golden Shears champion Gavin Mutch at the tiny Ohura Shears last Saturday.

Shearing is an event Mutch trademarked for his Golden Shears preparation away from the limelight, winning at Ohura before his world championship win in Masterton in 2012 and again before last year's historic first Golden Shears open win by a shearer from overseas.

Grainger won by the comfortable margin of more than four points.

Mutch had a fortnight earlier shown he was on target for a successful Golden Shears defence when he won the Rangitikei Sports Shears title in Marton. Another beaten in the Ohura final was Te Kuiti veteran Digger Balme who had won smaller-show titles at Aria and Te Puke in the previous fortnight.

Winning form was continued in the three other finals, Kaleb Foote, of Waikaretu, winning the senior final, Dylan Lewiss, from Wales, the intermediate title, and Blenheim shearer Jordan Hart the junior final.

Mark Grainger was back in the limelight a day later when he finished runner-up to a past Golden Shears champion in Rowland Smith in the Counties open final shorn at the Franklin A and P Show in Pukekohe on the Sunday.

For Smith -- winner of the Golden Shears open in 2014 -- it was his third win in three days after winning the South Island Shearer of the Year and Southern Shears open finals in Gore. He needed the fastest time of 16min 55sec to hold out Grainger, who had the best quality.

John Kirkpatrick and Aaron Haynes, who had both also shorn in the two Gore finals, were third and fourth.

Gisborne shearer Bevan Pere won the senior final, turning the tables on Kaleb Foote, who had won their clash the previous day at Ohura, while other Ohura winners Dylan Lewis and Jordan Hart repeated their triumphs by taking the Counties intermediate and junior finals respectively.

The 2016 Golden Shears get under way in Masterton on Thursday, March 3 and continue through until Saturday, March 5.