Shearing icon David Fagan is lining-up a 10th victory in one of New Zealand's toughest shearing events after heading the qualifiers for the PGG Wrightson National Circuit finals to be shorn at the Golden Shears in Masterton this week.
Fagan, the 52-year-old Te Kuiti shearer who first won the event in 1986, scored the maximum 12 points in the final qualifying round, the heats of the second-shear Pahiatua Shears on Sunday. He had opened the series in October with maximum points on full-woolled merino sheep at Alexandra.
The competition, for the McSkimming Memorial Triple Crown, which was first presented in 1973, extends over five qualifying rounds on different wools, also including the full crossbred fleece at Waimate in October, coarse-woolled Corriedale at the Canterbury Show in November, and lambs at Marton earlier this month.
The top 12, based on points for their placings at each stage, shear the semifinals at the Golden Shears on Saturday morning, the top six qualifying for the final that night, on sheep of all five types.
Fagan already has his name on the crown for 1986, 1988, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008, among 625 Open-class wins, which also include 16 wins in the Golden Shears open championship, for which he is again among the favourites.
