Rowland Smith shear class in Counties win

Rowland Smith in action at the Taranaki Shears in 2015. Photo / Doug Laing

Reigning Golden Shears and New Zealand shearing champion Rowland Smith continued his relentless march towards his defence of the titles when he returned to the scene of his 100th Open class win to add another Counties Shears title to his collection on Sunday.

Despite the World-class opposition from week to week, 2014 World champion Smith scored his 33rd consecutive finals win in New Zealand with some ease, beating runner-up and reigning World champion John Kirkpatrick by over four points.

Smith's class was shown in the shearing board judging where he averaged less than a penalty mark per sheep, while shearing the sheep at an average of under 45 seconds each, less than 24 hours after beating Kirkpatrick by three points in another all-Hawke's Bay quinella in the Southern Shears Open final in Gore.

In Sunday's final during the Franklin A and P Show at Pukekohe, Smith shore the 20 sheep in 16 minutes, and accumulated just 15 penalty marks. Smith also had the best quality points in the pens.

He was just pipped for time honours by 2012 World champion, Scotland international and Taranaki farmer Gavin Mutch, who finished in 15mins 56secs.

Sacrificing some quality on the way, Mutch, who had won at the tiny Ohura Sports event on Saturday, was eventually pipped for third place by Te Kuiti shearer Mark Grainger, but remained the only shearer other than Smith to have won an Open championship in which Smith has competed in New Zealand since November 2016.

The trip north was also worthwhile for Woodville shearer Tegwyn Bradley who continued his winning form with a Senior final victory by 2.9pts from runner-up Stefan Van Oorschott, of Te Akau.

It was much closer as local Blake Hewes, of Glen Murray, pipped Northland visitor Alan Boler by just 0.06pts in the Intermediate final, in which well-performed lower North Island shearer Daniel Seed was fourth.

Shearers and woolhandlers enter a busy time this week with the Taumarunui Jamboree Shears on Friday, followed by the Apiti Sports on Saturday, the Pahiatua Shears on Sunday, the Pre-Shears woolhandling championships on February 28, and the Golden Shears in Masterton on March 1-3. The New Zealand Championships in Te Kuiti are on April 5-7.

RESULTS from the Counties Shears at the Franklin A and P Show, Pukekohe, on Sunday, February 18, 2018:

Open final (20 sheep): Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 16min, 55.15pts, 1; John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 16min 38sec, 59.3pts, 2; Mark Grainger (Te Kuiti) 16min 37sec, 59.75pts, 3; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Whangamomona) 15min 56sec, 60.25pts, 4; Murray Henderson (Halcombe) 17min 42sec, 66.95pts, 5.

Senior final (10 sheep): Tegwyn Bradley (Woodville) 11min 43sec, 44.75pts, 1; Stefan Van Oorschott (Te Akau) 12min 11sec, 47.65pts, 2; James Lowry (Glen Murray) 12min 22sec, 49.9pts, 3; Peter Harwood (-) 14min 10sec, 55.8pts, 4; Lee Cheyne (Waitarimu) 14min 36sec, 57.2pts, 5.

Intermediate final (6 sheep): Blake Hewes (Glen Murray) 8min 30sec, 37.67pts, 1; Alan Boler (Wellsford) 9min 28sec, 37.73pts, 2; Liam Lowry (Glen Murray) 9min 7sec, 40.35pts, 3; Daniel Seed (Woodville) 8min 23sec, 40.98pts, 4; Lewis Whitham (England) 10min 9sec, 43.12pts, 5.

Junior final (5 sheep): Martin Marshall (-) 8min 49sec, 47.05pts, 1; Matthew Smith (Otorohanga) 12min 35sec, 48.15pts, 2; Hazel Wood (Ruawai) 12min 19sec, 48.35pts, 3; Kelvin Welch (Snell's Beach) 10min 56sec, 50.2pts, 4; Steve Knudsen (Orere Pt) 11min 41sec, 54.65pts, 5.

Novice final (1 sheep): Gus Berger (-) 4min 48sec, 27.9pts, 1; Kendra Paulsen (Hamilton) 7min 22sec, 30.1pts, 2; Cameron Hamerton (Ruawai) 3min 39sec, 49.95pts, 3; Michaela Lowry (Glen Murray) 6min 31sec, 55.55pts, 4.

Veterans final (2 sheep): Ralph Smith (Dargaville) 3min 13sec, 16.65pts, 1; Peter McCabe (Tauranga) 3min 29sec, 17.45pts, 2; Barry Jones (Pukekohe) 3min 1sec, 20.05pts, 3; Ian Buchanan (Te Kuiti) 3min 24sec, 22.7pts, 4; Philip Woodward (Wellsford) 3min 8sec, 22.9pts, 5.