Central Hawke's Bay Shears: David Buick beats champions

David Buick finishes the Central Hawke's Bay A and P Shears final - 20 sheep at 49 seconds each, caught, shorn and dispatched. Photo / SSNZ

Pongaroa shearer and farmer David Buick has again thrown down the challenge to his fellow shearing elite by winning the Central Hawke's Bay open title in Waipukurau on Saturday.

Buick dealt a crushing win over former world and Golden Shears champions John Kirkpatrick and Gavin Mutch, averaging a tick over 49 seconds a sheep caught, shorn and dispatched, in the four-man final of 20 sheep each.

Buick finished in 16 min 23 sec, and beat nearest challenger Kirkpatrick, of Pakipaki, by more than a sheep and a half.

Buick had the best points in both board and pen judging to win by the wide margin of 4.3pts, with another 5.2pts to Mutch, the Scottish international formerly based in Taranaki, but now managing a farm near Dannevirke.

New Zealand representative Buick's triumph was a near-repeat of his win by 4.4pts at the Hawke's Bay show's Great Raihania Shears in Hastings last month, and even more significant for it made him the first open shearer to win two finals this season, at the expense of two recent New Zealand title winners.

Kirkpatrick won the New Zealand Spring Shears final at Waimate last month, and Mutch won the New Zealand Corriedale title at the Canterbury Shears on November 6, while fourth finalist Paerata Abraham is a former PGG Wrightson Wool National Circuit winner.

There was a local show winner in the senior final, with Anaru Wakefield, of Porangahau, beating Kyle Mita, of Masterton, by 0.75pts, and immediately saying he only wanted "the ribbon" and donating his prize money to suicide prevention causes.

The winning run of Masterton shearer Adam Gordon, victorious at all five previous competitions north-and-south this season, came to an end when he was beaten by his own brother, Joseph, in the intermediate final, by almost 5pts, while there was big-time success for the lone Taihape competitors on the day, with Josh Devane winning his first junior titles and Ben Cripps the novice title.

Golden Shears and former world champion Joel Henare, made it three-from-three in the season's East Coast and Hawke's Bay open woolhandling finals, while Jasmin Tipoki, of Napier, claimed her second senior woolhandling title.

Rahera Kerr, of Taumarunui, had her first win in the junior final, and open-class shearer Paraki Puna, of Napier, won the novice woolhandling, from 11-year-old brother Waiari.

The shears attracted 107 shearers and woolhandlers from as far afield as Kaiwaka in Northland to Invercargill.

Results from the Central Hawke's Bay A and P Show Shears at Waipukurau on Saturday, November 14, 2020:

Shearing:

Open final (20 sheep): David Buick (Pongaroa) 16min 23sec, 60.05pts, 1; John Kirkpatrick (Pakipaki) 17min 43sec, 64.35pts, 2; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Dannevirke) 18min 10sec, 69.55pts, 3; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 18min 30sec, 70.75pts, 4.

Senior final (10 sheep): Anaru Wakefield (Porangahau) 13min 32sec, 48.3pts, 1; Kyle Mita (Masterton) 11min 49sec, 49.05pts, 2; Jayden Mainland (Wellsford) 11min 30sec, 49.6pts, 3; Paul Swann (Wairoa) 11min 59sec, 53.05pts, 4.

Intermediate final (6 sheep): Joseph Gordon (Masterton) 9min 54sec, 42.0333pts, 1; Adam Gordon (Masterton) 10min 28sec, 46.9pts, 2; Matene Munday (Waipukurau) 10min 3sec, 48.9833pts, 3; Luke Daysh (Eketahuna) 10min 39sec, 60.6167pts, 4.

Junior final (3 sheep): Josh Devane (Taihape) 7min 31sec, Michael Buick (Pongaroa) 10min 21sec, 44.3833pts, 2; Lachie Crafar (Halcombe) 9min 14sec, 51.0333pts, 3; Samantha Baxter (Pongaroa) 10min 51sec, 57.55pts, 4.

Novice (1 sheep): Ben Cripps (Taihape) 3min 51sec, 36.55pts, 1; Wirepa Walker (Waipukurau) 4min 23sec, 39.15pts, 2; Shaun Kohinga (Te Kuiti) 3min 27sec, 42.35pts, 3; Sam Mathewson (-) 5min 55sec, 44.75pts, 4.

Woolhandling:

Open final: Joel Henare (Gisborne) 62.2pts, 1; Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti) 87.4pts, 2; Ataneta Puna (Napier) 102.2pts, 3; Amy Lee Ferguson (Invercargill) 114pts, 4.

Senior final: Jasmin Tipoki (Napier) 83.2pts, 1; Sarah Davis (Rerewhakaaitu) 86pts, 2; Azuredee Paku (Mastterton) 97.8pts, 3; Vinniye Phillips (Taumarunui) 101.2pts, 4.

Junior final: Rahera Kerr (Taumarunui) 73.8pts, 1; Te Whetu Brown (Wairoa) 87pts, 2; Shania Hema (Takapau) 89.6pts, 3; Amy Bell (Weber) 92.2pts, 4.

Novice: Paraki Puna (Napier) 91.2pts, 1; Waiari Puna (Napier) 98.6pts, 2; Helen Hughes (Taumarunui) 117pts, 3.

Remaining competitions before the Christmas break:

November 21 (Sat): Nelson A and P Show, at Richmond; West Otago A and P Show, at Tapanui.

November 28 (Sat): Taranaki Shears Stratford A and P Show, at Stratford.

December 5 (Sat): Whangarei A and P Show, at Whangarei.