Golden Shears: World champion John Kirkpatrick out in shock result

Napier shearer John Kirkpatrick in tonight's Golden Shears Open championship quarterfinals.

There's been a boilover at the Golden Shears in Masterton tonight with new World Champion shearer John Kirkpatrick failing to reach the glamour Golden Shears Open final for only the second time in 20 years.

It was an early quarterfinals elimination for the 46-year-old four-times Golden Shears Open champion, who first shore in the "Goldies" final in 1997, having won the Intermediate final in 1993 and Senior final a year later.

Fifth in each of his first two finals, he has been no further back than third ever since, apart from 2009, when he missed a place in the top six, and 2015 when he was not competing because of a shoulder injury.

An air of drama drifted across the War Memorial Stadium as Kirkpatrick came out of the first of the five six-man Top 30 quarterfinal heats with the unlikely high score of 45.799pts, but even a correction was not enough and he was 18th, missing by over 1.3pts on a place in the top 12 for the Saturday afternoon semi-finals.

Three weeks ago, Kirkpatrick won the World Championships final in Invercargill, a dream of 15 years since 2002 when he became the first shearer to beat the great David Fagan in the Golden Shears Open final for 13 years.

The qualifiers were headed by 2006 champion Dion King, formerly of Flaxmere and now giving Wairarapa a big chance of claiming the big title for the first time. Hot favourite Rowland Smith, of Hastings, qualified in 6th place, and Ants Frew, of Kurow, was the only one of the 12 to reach a Golden Shears Open semi-final for the first time.

In order of qualification, the 12 vying for a place in shearing's most-revered top six tomorrow night are: Dion King (Flaxmere/Alfredton), David Buick (Pongaroa), Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Whangamomona), Aaron Haynes (Feilding), Tony Coster (Rakaia), Rowland Smith (Hastings), Darin Forde (Lornville), Nathan Stratford (Invercargill), Murray Henderson (Feilding), Paerata Abraham (Masterton), Anthony Frew (Kurow), Mark Grainger (Te Kuiti).

Results from the day session on Day 2 of the 57th Golden Shears International Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Masterton on March 2-4, 2017:
Shearing:
Open heats (6 second-shear sheep, Top 30 in qualifying order for quarterfinals tonight): Tony Coster (Rakaia) 7min 37sec, 29.549pts, 1; David Buick (Pongaroa) 7min 25.314sec, 29.599pts, 2; Tama Niania (Gisborne) 7min 36.918sec, 30.179pts, 3; Rikihana Chase (Taihape) 7min 40.343sec, 30.362pts, 4; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 7min 40.343sec, 30.684pts, 5; Floyde Neil (Taumarunui) 7min 50.958sec, 31.215pts, 6; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 7min 33.843sec, 31.525pts, 7; Kelvin Walker (Taumarunui) 6min 40.901sec, 31.712pts, 8; Digger Balme (Te Kuiti) 7min 52.248sec, 32.112pts, 9; John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 7min 29.04sec, 32.118pts, 10; Troy Pyper (Invercargill) 7min 8.613sec, 32.264pts, 11; Rowland Smith (Hastings) 7min 18.08sec, 32.404pts, 12; Aaron Haynes (Feilding) 7min 46.065sec, 32.636pts, 13; Darin Forde (Lornville) 6min 59.758sec, 32.655pts, 14; Tipene Te Whata (Tautoro) 7min 36.981sec, 32.683pts, 15; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Whangamomona) 7min 6.052sec, 32.803pts, 16; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 7min 6.653sec 32.833pts, 17; Murray Henderson (Halcombe) 8min 14.433sec, 33.222pts, 18; Mark Grainger (Te Kuiti) 7min 36.083sec, 33.304pts, 19; Dion King (Flaxmere/Alfredton) 7min 47.725sec, 33.386pts, 20; Jason Wingfield (Australia) 7min 35.889sec, 33.46pts, 21; Cam Ferguson (Waipawa) 7min 39.321sec, 33.632pts, 22; Axle Reid (Taihape) 7min 58.614sec, 33.764pts, 23; Stacey Te Huia (Te Kuiti/Dubbo) 6min 45.905sec, 34.295pts, 24; Anthony Frew (Timaru) 7min 49.606sec, 34.38pts, 25; Shannon Warnest (Australia) 8min 9.064sec, 34.953pts, 26; Ringakaha Paewai (Gore) 7min 37.397sec, 35.036pts, 27; Jordan Boyes (Owaka) 7in 31.662sec, 35.416pts, 28; Jimmy Samuels (Marton) 8min 1.181sec, 35.559pts, 29; RTuri Edmonds (Raetihi) 8min 35.2sec, 35.593pts, 30.
Senior heats (5 second-shear sheep, top 12 in qualifying order for Semi-final on Saturday morning): Dartren Aleander (Whangamomona) 7min 1.088sec, 30.254pts, 1; Aaron Bell (Waipawa) 7min 52.8sec, 31.24pts, 2; Paul Swann (Wairoa) 8min 45.071sec, 31.454pts, 3; Tegwyn Bradley (Woodville) 7min 58.653sec, 32.133pts, 4; Nicholas Greaves (satffordshire, England) 7min 34.946sec, 32.747pts, 5; Lionel Taumata (Gore) 8min 0.504sec, 33.825pts, 6; Tomas Lima (Levin) 8min 42.941sec, 34.147pts, 7; Ilan Jones (Wales) 7min 59.233sec, 34.162pts, 8; Conan Te Kene (Taumarunui) 7min 18.608sec, 35.13pts, 9; Lee Harris (Hamilton, Vic) 8min 48.8sec, 35.24pts, 10; Hua Edwards (Taumarunui) 8min 33.072sec, 35.854pts, 11; Linton Palmer (Dipton) 8min 46.189sec, 35.909pts, 12.
Intermediate semi-finals (5 second-shear sheep): Laura Bradley (Woodville) 8min 51.456sec, 32.573pts, 1; Brandon Maguire (Winton) 8min 53.272sec, 33.264pts, 2; Tom Brewer (Naracoorte, Australia) 9min 2.299dsec, 34.715pts, 3; Neil Bryant (Levin) 9min 50.303sec, 34.915pts, 4; Connor Puha (Kimbolton) 9min 2.064sec, 36.503pts, 5; Josh Harding (Hunterville) 8min 42.793sec, 36.54pts, 6; Blake Hewes (Glen Murray) 9min 23.628sec, 36.581pts, 7; George Olof (England) 8min 58.989sec, 36.749pts, 8; Sean Gouk (Taupo) 9min 32.571sec, 36.829pts, 9; Cody Greig (Levin) 9min 1.763sec, 38.288pts, 10; Jordan Hart (Blenheim) 8min 43.427sec, 39.171pts, 11; Trent Hewes (Glen Murray) 9min 12.841sec, 40.242pts, 12; Gwydion Davies (Wales) 9min 3.353sec, 40.768pts, 13; Emily Te Kapa (Scotland) 9min 55.165sec, 41.158pts, 14; Ruka Braddick (Eketahuna) 9min 52.702sec, 41.435pts, 15; Daniel Seed (Woodville) 8min 22.701sec, 41.535pts, 16; John James (Wales) 9min 33.365sec, 41.868pts, 17; Richard Paulsen (Waikaretu) 9min 11.756sec, 45.988pts. The top 6 shear in the final on Saturday afternoon.
Junior semi-finals (4 second-shear sheep): Mark Fergusson (Invercargill) 9min 7.856sec, 36.393pts, 1; Liam Norrie (Cheviot) 9min 49.099sec, 38.705pts, 2; Brodie Horrell (Gore) 9min 11.578sec, 39.329pts, 3; Steve Hakaraia (Napier) 9min 47.821sec, 42.891pts, 4; Anne-Lise Humstad (Norway) 10min 38.445sec, 43.422pts, 5; Keith Swann (Wairoa) 10min 50.901sec, 43.795pts, 6; Reuben Alabaster (Taihape) 13min 3.366sec, 48.368pts, 7; Tamahou Aranui (Martinborough) 9min 39.024sec, 48.451pts, 8; Ryan MacLean (Scotland) 11min 16.715sec, 49.586pts, 9; Matthew Smith (Otorohanga) 1min 40.416sec, 50.271pts, 10; Paora Moanaroa (Eketahuna) 9min 18.076sec, 51.404pts, 11; Hemi White (Reporoa) 12min 3.459sec, 52.173pts, 12; Natalya Rangiawha (Raglan) 12min 17.082sec, 53.604pts, 13; Darren Bryant (Levin) 11min 52.618sec, 53.631pts, 14; Caron Gwyn Evans (Wales) 10min 21.682sec, 55.084pts, 15; Mason Bright (Takapau) 8min 43.066sec, 56.653pts, 16; Bailey Rush (Kimbolton) 12min 47.823sec, 56.891pts, 17; Atawhai Hadfield (Wairoa) 13min 4.014sec, 57.451pts, 18. The top 6 shear n the final on Saturday afternoon.;
Woolhandling:
Open heats (top 16 for quarterfinals in qualifying order): Joel Henare (Gisborne) 64.2pts, 1; Rocky Hape-Taite (Dannevirke) 95pts, 2; Tina Elers (Mataura) 95.8pts, 3; Keryn Herbert (Te Awamutu/Te Kuiti) 98pts, 4; Maryanne Baty (Gisborne) 1103pts, 5; Pagan Karauria (Alexandra) 107pts, 6; Veronica (Roni) Goss (Mangamahu Valley) 107pts, 7; Chelsea Collier (Gore) 119pts, 8; Sophie Huf (Australia)119pts, 9; Anne Maree Kahukura (Omakau) 120pts, 11; Liesha Atkinson (Eketahuna) 120.4pts, 12; Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 124pts, 13; Eramiha Neho (Dannevirke) 126pts, 14; Logan Kamura (Marton) 127pts, 15; Amy Karaka (Te Karaka) 129.2pts,16. The quarterfinal will be held on Saturday morning.
Woolpressing:
Men's semi-final: Vinnie Goodger (Masterton) 39.25pts, 1; Conan Gray (Masterton) 52.3pts, 2; Jono Hicks (Marton) 129.75pts, 3; Ricci Stevens (Napier) 159.25pts, 4. Goodger and Gray meet in in the final tonight (Friday).