Shearing
Organisers of the shearing championships at the Tauranga A&P; Show over the weekend had always planned to make a presentation in recognition of a quarter century of support by Golden Shears regular Digger Balme of Te Kuiti - but never thought it would include the winning cheque.
That's the way it was, however, after Balme's surprise win in the show's 15-lamb pen final over his driver for the day, Mr Golden Shears himself, David Fagan, who won his 17th New Zealand lambshearing title in Raglan a fortnight ago.
It was a rare moment for 48-year-old Balme to pip 51-year-old Fagan on time and quality as the pair beat young hopes Mark Grainger, of Te Kuiti, and Hastings-based Northlander Doug Smith, the Invitation team members who had earlier beaten Welshmen Gareth Lloyd Evans and Richard Jones in the show's feature international teams event.
Balme shore the 15 lambs in 12min 16.1s, beating Fagan by 3s, and had the better board judging and pen quality points, ultimately winning by 1.7 points to claim a winning cheque of $700, in addition to the bottle of wine presented by Shearing Sports New Zealand life member and competition organiser Hugh McCarroll, of Tauranga.
