Bay pair set to take on Australia again

Napier shearer John Kirkpatrick competes in the Golden Shears open championship quarterfinals.

Two Hawke's Bay shearers could be lining up together to fight for the honour of their country in a shearing test in Australia later this year.

Rowland Smith and John Kirkpatrick are expected to be part of a team trying to beat Australia in a machine shearing test in Australia for the first time since 2010, and only the fifth time since transtasman series shearing resumed in 1997.

Smith retained his place in the team when he the Golden Shears Open and PGG Wrightson National finals in Masterton on Saturday and Kirkpatrick is being offered the place in the team as runner-up in the National, New Zealand's top multi-breeds series, which includes the least familiar finewooled merinos.

The third member of the New Zealand team for the 2017-18 home-and-away series is expected to be the best Kiwi in the merino championships in Alexandra in October.

Smith takes part with a confidence-boosting team-leading performance in Saturday's test match win in Masterton, the first time NZ has won in his four transtasman tests.

The pair were together in home-and-away losses in 2013-2014, and Kirkpatrick has shorn in 12 tests since 2002, for four wins.

RESULTS

The 57th Golden Shears Shearing and Woolhandliung Championships, Masterton, NZ, March 2-4.

INTERNATIONAL:

Lister Shearing Transtasman Shearing Test (12 sheep - 6 merinos, 3 long wools, 3 lambs): New Zealand 225.3534pts (R owland Smith 17min 45.072sec, 73.67pts; Nathan Stratford 18min 1.987sec, 75.016pts; Tony Coster 17min 50.029sec, 76.667pts) beat Australia 237.969pts (Jason Wingfield 15min 51.416sec, 75.071pts; Shannon Warnest 16min 58.816sec, 78.357pts; Daniel McIntyre 17min 39.154sec, 84.541pts). Godfrey Bowen Trophy (best quality points): Rowland Smith (New Zealand).
CP Wool Transtasman Wool handling test: New Zealand (Sheree Alabaster, Joel Henare) 298.4pts beat Australia (Sophie Huf, Mel Morris) 468.48pts.

SHEARING:

Golden Shears Open final (20 sheep): Rowland Smith (Hastings) 17min 19.05sec, 60.703pts, 1; Aaron Haynes (Feilding) 18min 8.556sec, 64.028pts, 2; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 18min 0.865sec, 64.043pts, 3; David Buick (Pongaroa) 17min 27.703sec, 64.235pts, 4; Murray Henderson (Halcombe) 18min 16.796sec, 67.79pts, 5; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Whangamomona) 17min 23.886sec, 68.144pts, 6.
PGG Wrightson National Championships final (15 sheep - 3 merinos, 3 corriedales, 3 longwools, 3 second-shear, 3 lambs): Rowland Smith (Hastings) 19min 32.206sec, 77.01pts, 1; John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 19min 15.225sec, 78.628pts, 2; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 20min 13.459sec, 79.873pts, 3; Tony Coster (Rakaia) 20min 11.415sec, 81.705pts, 4; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 19min 9.382sec, 83.536pts, 5; Murray Henderson (Halcombe) 20min 33.293sec, 86.199pts, 6.
Golden Shears Senior final (12 sheep): Darren Alexander (Whangamomona) 13min 27.36sec, 51.451pts, 1; Tegwyn Bradley (Woodville) 13min 47.255sec, 52.280pts, 2; Aaron Bell (Waipawa) 12min 34.761sec, 52.738pts, 3; Nicholas Greaves (England) 14min 6.21sec, 56.561pts, 4; Lionel Taumata (Mataura) 13min 22.165sec, 57.358pts, 5; Conan Te Kene (Taumarunui) 12min 26.865pts, 59.509pts, 6.
Golden Shears Intermediate final (eight sheep): Connor Puha (Kimbolton) 12min 4.056sec, 45.453pts, 1; Brandon Maguire-Ratima (Winton) 12min 57.988sec, 47.024pts, 2; Laura Bradley (Woodville) 12min 38.529sec, 49.301pts, 3; Tom Brewer (Naracoorte, Australia) 12min 8.611sec, 53.431pts, 4; Josh Harding (Hunterville) 12min 52.578sec, 56.754pts, 5; Neil Bryant (Levin) 134min 42.913sec, 6.
Golden Shears Junior final (five sheep): Mark Ferguson (Kahuranaki) 9min 46.681sec, 35.334pts, 1; Brodie Horrell (Gore) 8min 51.463sec, 35.373pts, 2; Liam Norrie (Cheviot) 10min 18.783sec, 38.339pts, 3; Steve Hakaraia (Napier) 9min 29.337sec, 38.867pts, 4; Anne-Lise Humstad (Norway) 10min 18.509sec, 40.125pts, 5; Keith Swann (Wairoa) 11min 3.69sec, 44.985pts, 6.
Golden Shears Novice final (2 sheep): Mark Baxter (Pongaroa) 5min 9.975sec, 31.999pts, 1; Richmond Ngarangione (Gisborne) 6min 11.868sec, 35.593pts, 2; Ariana Hadfield (Wairoa) 8min 1.219sec, 37.061pts, 3; Leam Pritchard (Pongaroa) 5min 57.186sec, 39.359pts, 4; Flynn Harvey (Kaitaia) 8min 8.954pts, 40.448pts, 5; Andrew Baxter (Pongaroa) 6min 32.665sec, 42.133pts, 6.
Maori-Pakeha Teams Event: Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) and Turi Edmonds (Raetihi) 73,036pts, 1; Axle Reid (Taihape) and Ringakaha Paewai (Gore) 75.117sec, 2; Kelvin Walker (Taumarunui) and Floyde Neil (Taumarunui) 78.64pts, 3.
Tui Encouragement Invitation (6 sheep): Tama Niania (Gisborne) 6min 42.543, 30.127pts, 1; Tipene Te Whata (Tautoro) 7min 14.631sec, 32.565pts, 2; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 7min 14.517sec, 32.726pts, 3; Jimmy Samuels (Marton) 6min 16.364sec, 32.984pts, 4; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 6min 48.734sec, 33.271pts, 5; Jordan Boyes (Owaka) 7min 17.206sec, 33.527pts, 6.

WOOLHANDLING:

Golden Shears Open final: Joel Henare (Gisborne) 160.85pts, 1; Sheree Alabaster (Taihape) 218.228pts, 2; Pagan Karauria (Alexandra) 220.228pts, 3; Anne Maree Kahukura (Omakau) 289.22pts, 4.
Golden Shears Senior final: Jamie McLean (Taihape) 133.7pts, 1; Erana Smith (Ruatoria) 153.71pts, 2; Ebony Turipa (Gore) 168.1pts, 3; Ash Boyce (Dannevirke) 212.94pts, 4.
Golden Shears Junior final: Ricci Stevens (Napier) 180.48pts, 1; Tameka Hema (Gisborne) 192.98pts, 2; Sarah Davis (Rerewhakaaitu) 193.286pts, 3; Bianca Hawea (Masterton) 194.038pts, 4.
Golden Shears Novice final: Aromia Ngarangione (Gisborne) 46.2pts, 1; Georgia Oliverr (Masterton) 59.6pts, 2; Midz Peneha (Masterton) 73.4pts, 3; Shyla Karaitiana (Masterton) 91.4pts, 4.
North Island Circuit Open final: Maryanne Baty (Gisborne) 127.38pts, 1; Sheree Alabaster (Taihape) 137.664pts, 2; Carmen Smith (Pongaroa) 162.864pts, 3; Keryn Herbert (Te Awamutu/Te Kuiti) 170.85pts, 4.

WOOLPRESSING:

Men's Final: Vinnie Goodger (Masterton) 56.7pts, 1; Conan Gray (Masterton) 76.6pts, 2.
Women's final: Christine Wolland (Eketahuna) 54.2pts, 1; Carmen Smith (Pongaroa) 104.95pts, 2.
Pairs final: Vinnie Goodger and Conan Gray (Masterton) 46.45pts, 1; Jimmy Samuels (Marton) and Riccie Stevens (Napier) 103.75pts, 2.
Young Farmers Clubs:
Blue Ribbon Open Shearing Championship (six sheep): Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 7min 1.943sec, 26.763pts, 1; Mark Grainger (Te Kuiti) 7min 2.469sec, 30.29pts, 2; Linton Palmer (Dipton) 9min 21.469sec, 34.907pts, 3; Jacob Moore (Marton) 8min 29.566sec, 34.978pts, 4; Aaron Bell (Waipawa) 8min 34.256sec, 35.213pts, 5; Tegwyn Bradley (Woodville) 8min 57.197sec, 35.693pts, 6.
Shearing and Woolhandling teams event: Wairarapa (shearers Aaron Bell, Mark Grainger; woolhandlers Sam Gordon, Sarah Higgins) 219.512pts, 1; Marton (shearers Jimmy Samuels, Jacob Moore; woolhandlers Cortez Ostler, Logan Kamura) 248.616pts, 2; Ballance (shearers Tegwyn Bradley, Laura Bradley; woolhandlers Sumer Pritchard, Sam Pritchard) 288.513pts, 3.
Triathlon (combined points from shearing, woolhandling and pressing heats): Ricci Stevens (Napier) 173.227pts, 1; Carmen Smith (Pongaroa) 186.376pts, 2; Jono Hicks (Marton) 203.88pts, 3; Jimmy Samuels (Marton) 221.659pts, 4; Linton Palmer (Dipton) 230.609pts, 5.

SPECIAL AWARDS:

RE O'Hara Memorial Trophy (best quality any shearing final): Mark Ferguson (Kahuranaki), Junior final.
FMG Quality Awards (best quality in shearing heats): Open, Tony Coster (Rakaia) 6.667pts, 1; Senior, Paul Swann (Wairoa) 5.2pts; Intermediate, Blake Hewes (Glen Murray) 6.25pts; Junior, Mark Ferguson (Elsthorpe) 6.25pts.
Friends of Golden Shears (best quality points in woolhandling heats): Open, Joel Henare (Gisborne) 51pts; Senior, Sam Tipene (Eketahuna) 71pts; Junior, Crystal Bird (Mangatainoka) 72pts.
Les Field Memorial Trophy (best quality woolhandling all grades): Joel Henare.