The New Zealand shearing team has again swept the honours at a major contest in the UK with a pair of victories at the Rickamore Shears in Northern Ireland.
John Kirkpatrick, of Napier, and Nathan Stratford, of Invercargill, shearing their first lambs on tour after four weeks of shearing adult sheep, won a test match against Northern Ireland and finished first and second respectively in the Rickamore Shears Open final, in which all five finalists are based in New Zealand.
Third was Te Kuiti shearing legend David Fagan, Irish champion, world eight-hour lamb shearing record holder and Irishman Ivan Scott was fourth, and Hawke's Bay shearer Matt Smith was fifth.
Fagan's son, Jack, who has dominated senior class shearing in the UK this season, had to settle for second to Irishman Sean Kerlin in the Rickamore senior final.
Kirkpatrick and Stratford have shared a test series 1-1 with Scotland, while Kirkpatrick's £600 ($1174) collect was his third winning purse in four Open finals.
