"That's one of the best finals I've seen for a while," Mullins said.
David Buick came in third on Saturday, after originally believing he'd missed a place in the final.
Buick had just left Taihape for home in Pongaroa when he got the call to return, to replace Gisborne shearer Tama Niania.
Niania had lost his place under penalty for failing to show for "tipping-up" after the semi-final – a requirement on all shearers to go to the pens after their event to tip-up sheep for the judges in the next event on the programme.
The quality and experience of the field was highlighted by the presence of four shearers, with more than 15 years in open competition each, and a combined total of about 450 wins.
As an A-grade show victory it was a morale booster for 2012 world champion and 2015 Golden Shears winner Mutch leading to this year's Golden Shears on March 4-6, where defending champion Smith will be aiming for an eighth win.
In November Mutch won the New Zealand Corriedale Shears title at Marble Point in Canterbury.
Meanwhile, Te Kuiti woolhandler Keryn Herbert, yet to win a Golden Shears open title, successfully defended the Taihape title, winning for a seventh time in the State Highway 1 town.
But it was a close call, with the victory by just 0.752pts from Masterton woolhandler and runner-up Samantha Gordon, with a 7pts gap to third-placed multiple world and Golden Shears champion Joel Henare, of Gisborne.
Wairarapa competitors dominated the senior, intermediate and junior shearing finals.
Masterton youngsters Kyle Mita and Joseph Gordon won the senior and intermediate events respectively.
It was Gordon's second win of the season, again at the expense of brother Adam Gordon, winner of eight of his 10 finals this season
Michael Buick, son of David, and a pupil at Rathkeale College, near Masterton, won the junior final.
Number one-ranked 2019-2020 junior woolhandler and 2020 Golden Shears junior woolhandling champion Te Anna Phillips, of Taumarunui, turned her hand to shearing to win the novice event, from a good field of 14.
However, Phillips had to settle for second in the senior woohandling final, which was won by Napier competitor Jasmin Tipoki, who was number one-ranked senior last season without winning a final.
Saturday's junior woolhandling final was won by Shontaye Walker,of Whanganui.
This year, the Taihape shears attracted 103 shearers and 42 woolhandlers, which pleased organiser Stu Munro.
Covid-19 border controls resulted in the absence of the usual influx of shearers from overseas.
The season heats up next weekend, with four events in the North Island - shearing at the Dannevirke A and P Show on Friday, the North Kaipara A and P Show at Paparoa and the Aria Sports on Saturday and the Rangitikei Shearing Sports in Marton on Sunday.
The sole South Island event is the shearing-only Reefton Shears on Waitangi Day.
Results from the Taihape A and P Show Shearing and Woolhandling Championships on Saturday, January 30, 2021:
Shearing:
Open final (20 sheep): Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Dannevirke) 16min8sec, 57.5pts, 1; Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 17min 24sec, 58.95pts, 2; David Buick (Pongaroa) 16min 43sec, 59.7pts, 3; John Kirkpatrick (Pakipaki) 17min 27sec, 62.65pts, 4; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 17min 52sec, 63.15pts, 5; Hayden Tapp (Taihape) 17min 41sec, 63.35pts, 6.
Senior final (10 sheep): Kyle Mita (Masterton) 10min 21sec, 40.65pts, 1; Chris Dickson (Masterton) 10min 10sec, 42.1pts, 2; Paora Moanaroa (Eketahuna) 10min 51sec, 42.75pts, 3; Paul Swann (Wairoa) 11min 28sec, 45.1pts, 4; Reuben Alabaster (Taihape) 9min 51sec, 45.25pts, 5; Sean Gouk (Masterton) 10min 54sec, 47.2pts, 6.
Intermediate final (8 sheep): Joseph Gordon (Masterton) 11min 3sec, 41.775pts, 1; Adam Gordon (Masterton) 12min 24sec, 46.2pts, 2; Clay Harris (Pio Pio) 11min 24sec, 49.325pts, 3; Rameka Thwaites (Feilding) 11min 33sec, 49.65pts, 4; Ellis Rees (Wales) 10min 53sec, 51.275pts, 4; Tem Sidney (Hunterville) 12min 26sec, 54.175pts, 6.
Junior final (4 sheep): Michael Buick (Pongaroa) 10min 6sec, 34.55pts, 1; Hamu Henderson (Kaiwaka) 8min 33sec, 35.9pts, 2; Keahrey Manson (Taihape) 9min 21sec, 36.3pts, 3; Mark Baxter (Pongaroa) 9min 42sec, 40.35pts, 4; Josh Devane (Taihape) 11min 18sec, 42.65pts, 5; Henry Stewart (Feilding) 11min 32sec, 43.88pts, 6.
Novice (1 sheep): Te Anna Phillips (Taumarunui) 5min 36sec, 29.8pts, 1; Lily Alabaster (Taihape) 5min 6sec, 30.3pts, 2; Emma Kendrick (Feilding) 5min 21sec, 31.05pts, 3; Sam Loder (-) 5min, 32pts, 4; Tawhiti Whare (-) 4min 17sec, 34.85pts, 5; Todd Reilly (Feilding) 4min 54sec, 35.7pts, 6.
Woolhandling:
Open final: Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti) 61.964pts, 1; Samantha Gordon (Masterton) 62.716pts, 2; Joel Henare (Gisborne) 69.404pts, 3; Angela Stevens (Napier) 80.91pts, 4; Brittany Tibble (Gisborne) 84.022pts, 5.
Senior wool: Jasmin Tipoki (Napier) 60.63pts, 1; Te Anna Phillips (Taumarunui) 63.27pts, 2; Summer Pritchard (Pongaroa) 64.784pts, 3; Vinniye Phillips (Taumarunui) 67.4pts, 4; Azuredee Paku (Masterton) 74.098pts, 5.
Junior: Shontaye Walker (Whanganui) 42.81pts, 1; Alisha Te Huia (Marton) 44.53pts, 2; Rahera Kerr (Hautupu) 47.1pts, 3; Savannah King (Eketahuna) 73.08pts, 4; Te Whetu Brown (Wairoa) 77.52pts, 5.
