The triumphant Northland crew at the Rotorua Agrodome Shears, Toa Henderson (left), Dane Phillips, Destiny Paikea, Jayden Mainland, and Tama Nahona. Photo / Supplied
The triumphant Northland crew at the Rotorua Agrodome Shears, Toa Henderson (left), Dane Phillips, Destiny Paikea, Jayden Mainland, and Tama Nahona. Photo / Supplied
A carload of Northland shearers and a woolhandler celebrated the chance to compete at possibly the closest competition to home this season, by claiming an armload of ribbons - including two wins - at the Rotorua Agrodome Shears on Sunday.
Travelling four hours each way from Kaiwaka, between Whangarei and Auckland, Toa Henderson won the open shearing final and Tama Nahona, originally from Whanganui, won the senior title, but it was just some of the pickings from the trip down to the place also known as Rotovegas.
Dane Phillips, also of Kaiwaka, was fourth in the open final, Jayden Mainland, of Wellsford, runner-up to Nahona in a close senior final, and Destiny Paikea, from Whangarei, runner-up in the senior woolhandling final.
There was similar success for a crew of nine from Piopio contractor, New Zealand Shearing Contractors Association president and competitions judge Mark Barrowcliffe headed by intermediate shearing winner Keahrey Manson, and first-time junior winner Tana Barrowcliffe.
The two crews comprised almost a third of the 45 entries, in which, uniquely, woolhandlers (in three grades), outnumbered shearers (in four grades), by 23 to 22.
There were just six in the open shearing, and five in the open woolhandling, which was won by Masterton-based Chelsea Collier.
Rotorua Agrodome Shears open woolhandling finals winner Chelsea Collier (left), runner-up Keryn Herbert, third-placed Lucas Broughton-Siemonek, and fourth-placed Nova Kumeroa. Photo / Supplied
The dwindling numbers prompted open woolhandling runner-up Keryn Herbert, of Te Kuiti, to urge competitors to better support the events, including the Aria Waitangi Day Sports Shears in southern King Country next Sunday, and the Otago Shears on February 12 at Telford Farm, Balclutha.
Henderson is a former top lower-grades shearer, who after several years in Australia won his first open title at Warkworth in 2019 and who has now won eight open finals. He also shore in 11 open finals last season, from Kaikohe in the north to Gore in the south.
Henderson said he realised there wasn't going to be a lot of opportunities this summer, with 36 of the season's 59 scheduled competitions cancelled, with possibly more to follow.
"It was a close one for us," he said.
"That's why I thought we'd better do the trip."
It was also a close race as Henderson and King Country veteran Digger Balme each shore the 20-sheep final in 17min 29sec.
But Henderson had markedly the better quality points, including conceding just 16 penalty marks on the shearing board and with all the arithmetic completed, claimed the win by a comfortable 4.55pts from Te Kuiti shearer Jack Fagan and Balme.
An open-class shearer since the late 1980s, Digger Balme, of Otorohanga, in another final shearing 20 sheep in 17min 29sec at the Rotorua Agrodome Shears on Sunday. Photo / Supplied
Balme and Fagan were locked together on total points but Fagan claimed second place with the cleaner shear.
Fifth was Masterton shearer Matene Mason, in his second final in a week, having been fourth at Levin last Sunday.
Nahona shore the 12-sheep senior final in 14min, shading Mainland by three seconds and ultimately by just 0.317pts.
Collier's victory was only her third open win, the first being a New Zealand Woolhandler of the Year win in 2005, which made her a member of the New Zealand transtasman series team the following season.
The second was the national crossbred longwool title at Lumsden, Southland, just over 12 months ago, but the meagre pickings haven't been for the want of trying.
She'd contested 22 finals in the last five years, including the Golden Shears and New Zealand Shears finals in 2019.
Herbert, a winner of 51 open titles, was runner-up, third was Lucas Broughton-Siemonek, of Gisborne, in his first open final, and fourth was Nova Kumeroa, from Southland.
The senior woolhandling final was won by occasional competitor C. J. Darlington, of Havelock North, and the junior final provided the first win for Tre Ratana Sciascia, of Feilding.
Tia Manson, fourth in the junior woolhandling final. Photo / Supplied
Results from the Agrodome Shears shearing and woolhandling championships at Ngongotaha:
Shearing:
Open final (20 sheep): Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 17min 29sec, 59.45pts, 1; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 19min 9sec, 64pts, 2; Digger Balme (Otorohanga) 17min 29sec; 64pts; Dane Phillips (Kaiwaka) 19min 14sec, 65.15pts, 4; Matene Mason (Masterton) 19min 3sec, 65.25pts, 5.
Open final: Chelsea Collier (Masterton) 53.388pts, 1; Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti) 68.22pts, 2; Lucas Broughton-Siemonek (Gisborne) 91.78pts, 3; Nova Kumeroa (Mataura) 98.91pts, 4.
Senior final: C.J. Darlington (Havelock North) 68.87pts, 1; Destiny Paikea (Heriot) 72.91pts, 2 Sarah Davis (Rerewhakaaitu) 87.1pts, 3; Lee George (Hamilton) 105.06pts, 4.
Junior final: Tre Ratana Sciascia (Feilding) 38.868pts, 1; Amy Bell (Weber) 43.25pts, 2; Alisha Te Huia (Marton) 63.53pts, 3; Tia Manson (Piopio) 66pts, 4.
