New Zealand Merino Shears kicks off season with fine wool challenge

Australian shearer Daniel McIntyre claimed the New Zealand Merino Shears open shearing title in Alexandra last year. Photo / Barbara Newtone

An attempt to stop Australia from claiming New Zealand’s top fine wool shearing title, and the selection of a shearer and woolhandler for next month’s transtasman tests, will be features of the New Zealand Merino Shears in Alexandra on Friday and Saturday.

The open shearing final was won last year by Australian national team member and World Championships representative Daniel McIntyre - following eight wins in 10 years by West Australian gun Damian Boyle up to 2019.

The best-finishing Kiwi shearer in this year’s event will win a place in the New Zealand team for the first leg of the 2023-2024 home-and-away transtasman shearing series, at the Australian National Championships in Jamestown, South Australia, on October 20.

The door is open for a new national representative with leading fine wool contenders Nathan Stratford, of Invercargill, and Angus Moore, of Ward, already selected as the other two machine shearers based on results from last season.

Moore won his place by taking out the 2023 PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit.

Long-serving national representative, Stratford finished third in last season’s Golden Shears open final behind winner Rowland Smith and Moore.

As Smith is not available for the test, Stratford claimed his spot.

The winner of the open woolhandling final will also be in the team and will join defending Merino champion Cushla Abraham, of Masterton.

Abraham has already claimed her place in this season’s team as the winner of the North Island Circuit final last March.

More than 100 competitors will feature in Alexandra, with the major fine wool titles available in open and senior shearing, and open, senior and junior woolhandling.

It is the first of 60 shows on the Shearing Sports New Zealand calendar, for a season that will end at the New Zealand Shears in Te Kuiti on April 4-6.

More than 40 will compete in the open shearing, the heats of which constitute the first round of this season’s PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit, effectively the national all-breeds championship.

Cushla Abraham, of Masterton, seen here winning the 2022 New Zealand Merino Shears open woolhandling title in Alexandra. Photo / Barbara Newton.

Joining competitors across the grades will be indigenous trainees from Australia, led by Australia-based New Zealander Sam Te Whata.

Te Whata is a former national representative, world lamb shearing record-breaker, NZ Merino Shears open winner and national circuit champion.

He is also considering shearing at the event again, at the age of 68.

Te Whata heads up a shearing training programme based in Dubbo, NSW, and led similar trips last year to both the NZ Merino Shears and the Golden Shears in Masterton, said to have been the first overseas venture by Australian indigenous shearing representatives.

Among those officiating at the championships will be New Zealand team manager Mark Barrowcliffe, of King Country township Piopio, who will be taking in a rare chance to judge fine wool shearing before officiating during the trip to Australia.

He has qualified as a fine wool shearing judge and said the major difference from judging crossbred shearing in the North Island was the increased range of penalties with the wrinkly skin of the Merinos, particularly on the neck.

“They’re a good challenge,” he said.

“Judging them is as big a challenge as shearing them.”

Among others officiating will be South Island woolhandling judge Heidi Middleton, who will also be officiating in Australia.