Sport shearers honoured as masters

Tony Coster and three of his fellow shearing greats have been awarded Master status.

Success at the Golden Shears in Masterton features prominently on the curriculum vitae of four men who have been accorded Master status by Shearing Sports New Zealand.

Machine shearers Tony Coster, of Rakaia, and Nathan Stratford, of Invercargill, woolhandler Joel Henare, of Gisborne, and blades shearer Brian Thomson of Christchurch have all taken the limelight at the world's top shearing and woolhandling event.

Coster and Stratford have been among New Zealand's top multi-breed shearers for several years and both have celebrated victory in the PGG Wrightson National series finalised at the Golden Shears. In fact, they provided the quinella in this year's edition with Stratford coming first with 86.616 points and Coster second with 88.247.

Stratford also came fourth behind Rowland Smith, John Kirkpatrick and Cam Ferguson in the open championship final this year and was sixth in that event in 2013. Stratford and Coster have wins in the New Zealand Shears Circuit final in Te Kuiti on their records as well.

Henare is the youngest Master in any of the crafts, having claimed the world championship woolhandling title in Masterton at the age of 20 in 2012.

Last year, he took away the Golden Shears open woolhandling title, repeating that achievement this year.

Thomson has shorn in the individual and teams blade shearing finals at three consecutive world championships, including a fourth placing in the individual event when the worlds were held in conjunction with the Golden Shears in Masterton two years ago.

Nathan Stratford.

Brian Thomson.

Master Shearer status was created when a group of foundation recipients was announced at the 1975 Golden Shears, and 64 have now been accorded the honour. Master Woolhandler status was initiated in 1991, Henare being the 22nd to receive the accolade, and Thomson is the 19th Master Blade Shearer named since 1999.

A vote of at least 80 per cent was required for each to be confirmed at last week's Shearing Sports New Zealand conference, where delegates considered competition performances, commitment to, and performance in, the shearing industry and character.

Small trophies marking the accolade are expected to be presented to the recipients during the 2014-2015 competition season which starts with the New Zealand finewool merino championships at Alexandra on October 3-4.