Moo-to-mutton shearer in finals

It was a day of surprises - bordering on shocks - for raw recruit shearer Nick Fabish yesterday.
The 18-year-old convert from the dairying industry was staggered to make the final of the novice shearing at the Golden Shears and then, when he walked on to the board, to discover he was representing Martinborough.
That's because Fabish is from Taranaki, but he was just as proud to be said to be a son of Martinborough anyway.
In truth, Fabish's only connection to Wairarapa is that he is a student at Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre, where he is enrolled to learn the ins and outs of sheep and beef farming having switched from a dairying course only eight months ago.
Apart from having a crack at competitive shearing in Apiti last week, the Golden Shears was Fabish's first truly serious attempt with a hand-set and he was "truly amazed" to make it into the final six from an original field of 50 young shearers.
Fabish was travelling okay, shearing clean to try and gain maximum quality points until his second sheep decided to put on a performance.
It kicked and struggled and played up merry hell to such a degree Fabish had to reset the sheep several times before he could carry on taking off its fleece.
The loss of time points took away any chance he had of getting into the first three placegetters.
After the contest Fabish said he had no idea why he had been credited with being from Martinborough but that hadn't worried him in the slightest.
He said he had switched to sheep and beef because he had been brought up on a Taranaki dairy farm and years of early morning starts didn't exactly appeal.
The Golden Shears experience had been tremendous and he was already looking forward to returning next year, when the world shearing championships are to be held in Masterton.
The winner of the novice shearing was Charlie Guy, 15, from Kaeo, who takes home a trophy and a cheque for $200.
In second place was Anaru Wakefield (Porangahau) and third was the only female finalist, Monique Taylor (Feilding.)
Accepting the winner's trophy, Guy said his biggest worry while competing was that his 13-year-old kid brother Marshall might beat him.
As it happened Marshall Guy was fourth in the final, ahead of George Smith (Waikaretu) and Fabish.