Waipawa shearer Cam Ferguson has won the right to defend his world title next month after a drama at the Southern Shears in Gore on Saturday night.
Ferguson beat Napier gun John Kirkpatrick off the board by 3secs after a 20-sheep selection series final. While the placings were reversed in the final points count the pair still made it an all-Hawkes Bay pairing in the machine shearing section of the team for the championships during the Golden Shears in Masterton from February 29-March 3.
But a scare was immediately thrown into the camp in the 20-sheep Southern Shears final when Ferguson pulled out less than half-way through.
Kirkpatrick had been a prolific winner during the season, but Ferguson has not won a final since a minor show in Canterbury last March, and has recently been recovering from a back injury.
They were the first two in a 6-man series final from which the notable absentee was King Country icon David Fagan. Fagan was culled in the semifinals for which he had been the top qualifier and TAB favourite after a 7-round points series which started in Christchurch last November.
Gisborne's Joel Henare will become New Zealand's youngest-ever representative in 35 years of world championships. He will team up with mentor and two-times individual champion Joanne Kumeroa of Whanganui, as a result of the woolhandling selection series final in Gore.
Kumeroa won the 3-way contest, 20-year-old Henare was second and the unlucky one to miss out was Keryn Herbert, of Te Awamutu.
Canterbury blades shearers Mike McConnell, of Albury, and Brian Thomson, of West Melton, were named in the world championships team after the end of their selection series a fortnight ago.
The championships during the Golden Shears in Masterton on February 29-March 3 have attracted entries from 25 countries, including New Zealand-based shearers and woolhandlers representing Nuie and the Cook Islands.
Results from 47th Southern Shears shearing and woolhandling championships at Gore on Friday and Saturday:
Shearing. Semi-finals (2 corriedale, 3 full-wool ewes, 5 second-shear): Rowland Smith (Ruawai) 10min 25.56sec, 41.878pts, 1; John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 10min 17.5sec, 42.175pts, 2; Cam Ferguson (Waipawa) 10min 29.33sec, 42.367pts, 3; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 10min 53.28sec, 43.564pts, 4; James Fagan (Te Kuiti) 9min 55.06sec, 43.953pts, 5; Jason Win (Ikamatua) 10min 29.45sec, 44.373pts, 6; Dion King (Napier) 10min 37.09sec, 44.655pts, 7; Adam Brausch (Dannevirke) 11min 5.31sec, 45.666pts, 8; David Fagan (Te Kuiti) 10min 38.58sec, 45.729pts, 9; Tony Coster (Rakaia) 11min 48.81sec, 46..341pts, 10; Matthew Smith (Ruawai) 10min 50.8sec, 48.44pts, 11; Darin Forde (Winton) 10min 23.06sec, 49.153pts, 12.
Final (4 corriedale, 6 full-wool ewes, 10 second-shear): John
Kirkpatrick (Napier) 19min 10.25sec, 68.013pts, 1; Cam Ferguson (Waipawa) 19min 6.55sec, 69.078pts, 2; Rowland Smith (Ruawai) 19min 23.81sec, 70.891pts, 3; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 18min 57.41sec, 71.521pts, 4; Jason Win (Ikamatua) 20min 19.88sec, 974.644pts, 5; James Fagan (Te Kuiti) 19min 38.8sec, 75.69pts, 6.
Woolhandling.-
Semi-finals: Joanne Kumeroa (Whanganui) 161.026pts, 1; Joel
Henare (Gisborne) 215.586pts, 2; Keryn Herbert (Te Awamutu) 222.676pts, 3; Veronica (Ronnie) Goss (Kimbolton) 243.994pts, 4; Bernadette Forde (Tuatapere) 250.15pts, 5; Sheree Alabaster (Taihape) 310.226pts, 6.
Final: Joanne Kumeroa (Whanganui) 168.828pts, 1; Joel Henare (Gisborne) 186.38pts, 2; Keryn Herbert (Te Awamutu) 204.062pts, 3.
-Southern Shears championships: Dion King (Napier) 18min 10.59sec, 66.23pts, 1; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 19min 17sec, 68.5pts, 2; John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 19min 2.77sec, 69.189pts, 3; David Fagan (Te Kuiti) 19min 2.91sec, 69.746pts, 4; Rowland Smith (Napier) 19min 9.92sec, 71.396pts, 5; Darin Forde (Winton) 19min 18.94sec, 72.397pts, 6.
Open shearing final (20 sheep): Dion King (Napier) 15min 56.3sec, 56..515pts, 1; Rowland Smith (Ruawai) 16min 42.31sec, 57.016pts, 2; David Fagan (Te Kuiti) 16min 13.17sec, 57.659pts, 3; John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 16min 32.17sec, 58.259pts, 4; Darin Forde (Winton) 16min 32.17sec, 58.559pts, 5; Cam Ferguson (Waipawa) did not finish.
Senior shearing final (12 sheep): Wi Poutu Ngarangione (Gisborne) 12min 29.97sec, 50.499pts, 1; Tysson Hema (Waipukurau) 13min 53.03sec, 51.735pts, 2; Jake Rangiuaia (Mataura) 13min 31.14sec, 55.223pts, 3; Brook Todd (Dipton) 14min 42sec, 55.434pts, 4; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 15min 14.19sec,58.126pts, 5; Scott Cunningham (Gore) 14min 28.03sec, 58.569pts, 6.
Intermediate final (6 sheep): Linton Palmer (Dipton) 9min 0..8sec, 35.004pts, 1; Daniel Cree (Isle of Man) 8min 23sec, 37.317pts, 2; Hayden Tapp (Taihape) 8min 35.28sec, 37.931pts, 3; Tui Peni (Waipawa) 9min 1.42sec, 39.571pts, 4; P.J.Lynch (Ireland) 8min 49.5sec, 40.642pts, 5; Matt Spence (Gisborne) 9min 55.28sec, 47.597pts, 6.
Junior final (5 sheep): Andrew Leith (Dipton) 10min 51.09sec, 38.755pts, 1; Ethan Pankhurst (Masterton) 10min 32.41sec, 40.021pts. 2; Ben Nicholson (Napier) 11min 27.95sec, 43.198pts, 3; Lionel Taumata (Gore) 10min 24sec, 45pts, 4; Michael Herlihy (Whangamomona) 10min 11.55sec, 45.978pts, 5; Ynyr Pugh (Wales) 11min 35.58sec, 51.179pts, 6.
Open woolhandling final: Joel Henare (Gisborne) 168.59pts, 1; Joanne Kumeroa (Whanganui) 232.07pts, 2; Tia Potae (Milton) 285.88pts, 3.
Senior woolhandling final: Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 121.836pts, 1; Melanie Barrett (Invercargill) 122.94pts, 2; Maria Pahl (Tuatapere) 129.59pts, 3; Keisha Te Kuki (Dannevirke) 134.12pts, 4.
Junior woolhandling final: Cherie Peterson (Milton) 155.188pts, 1; Anne-Marie Kahukura (Omakau) 175.3pts, 2; Ataneta Puna (Masterton) 196.38pts, 3; Raewyn Fowler (Gore) 197.53pts, 4.