Shear legend called Fagan

David Fagan at 49 has become synonymous with the district's most famous sporting event, the Golden Shears, having won the open title on 16 occasions.
Now the long-time New Zealand representative says the feeling will no different when he attempts to make it number 17 early next month.
"I love coming to Masterton, it's a very special place to me," Fagan said from his Te Kuiti home yesterday. "There's no bigger prize than the Golden Shears, it's what every shearer worth his salt wants to win."
Fagan isn't counting his chickens this year though. While he has always been thereabouts in the various competitions he has contested in recent weeks, he rates his form as "just average" and finds the TAB odds - which have him as a $5 third favourite behind John Kirkpatrick (Hawke's Bay) at $2.50 and Cam Ferguson (Waipawa) at $3.50 - "quite amusing".
"I think they must have gone on reputation rather than form. Quite honestly, they should have me back in the pack somewhere," he said. "I'm pretty sure I will go okay but winning ... no, I can't really see that happening."
Fagan admits it is the sheer enjoyment of competitive shearing that keeps him active in the sport and he no longer worries about the end results.
"When you get to 49, you are just lucky you can get out there and have a crack and I guess I'll just keep doing it until the enjoyment goes," he said, adding he was planning to be part of the world championships in Masterton next year. "That will be a big one, hopefully I make it."
Fagan does agree with the TAB bookies that Kirkpatrick is the man to beat at this year's Golden Shears.
Remarkably, Kirkpatrick has won 11 of the 15 lead-up events he has contested this season, including the South Island Shearer of the Year and Southern Shears open finals in Gore last Saturday.
But, at the same time, Fagan is well aware of the extra pressures at the Golden Shears and what it can do to shearers who are seen as virtually unbeatable.
"Nothing is certain about the Golden Shears, you can never take anything for granted there," he said. "Just making it to the final is hard enough, there are always a lot of quality shearers who miss out."
Ferguson's prospects of making it two on end are also rated highly by Fagan, who was part of the successful New Zealand contingent when the Waipawa shearer won the world individual title in Wales last year.
He also labels Rowland Smith from the Far North as an up-and-comer worth watching. Smith, who is at $40 on the TAB, won his second Counties Shears open title at Pukekohe last Sunday, an event in which Kirkpatrick came third.
Fagan will also be keeping a close eye on the action in the intermediate section of the Golden Shears. His 18-year-old son, Jack, will be competing there and, after some impressive recent results, should be among the front-runners.
"He's shaping well enough, he looks quite promising," was the fatherly comment.