Shearing: Waikato teen tops Kiwi exploits in UK

Trent Hewes has just chalked up the biggest success of his short career. Northlanders Matt Smith and Brook Hamerton also featured in the premier UK event.

A Waikato teen has won an intermediate title at Britain's Golden Shears.

Trent Hewes, 19, who was fifth in the New Zealand Golden Shears intermediate final in Masterton in March and sixth at the New Zealand championships in Te Te Kuiti five weeks later, won his title at the Royal Bath and West Show in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England, on Friday.

It was the best of several Kiwi performances in finals at England's premier shearing and woolhandling championships, including: Tegwyn Bradley, of Woodville, runner-up in his bid to add the UK Golden Shears title to his Kiwi one; Allan Oldfield, of Geraldine, runner-up in his defence of the Blades title: and Matt Smith, from Northland and Hawke's Bay but now based in Cornwall, finishing third in the England National Championship final.

It was Hewes' first competition abroad, and he had good New Zealand company, with close friend and fourth placegetter Richie Paulsen and 2018 New Zealand Golden Shears junior champion Brook Hamerton, from Ruawai in Northland, both also in the final.

Paulsen won the race, shearing the eight sheep in 10min 45sec and beating next-man-off Hewes by 19 seconds.

"I had a rough first sheep," said Hewes. "But I seemed to stay relaxed, and I had good board points. When I left the board I wasn't confident, but I knew I'd had a good shear."

Despite having only the fourth-best points in the pen judging, the combination of time and quality points gave him a win by 2.625pts from runner-up James Lewis, of Hereford, England.

The senior shearing final in which Bradley was runner-up was won by Bristol's John Malseed, who while shearing in New Zealand won the interemediate final at Lumsden in January.

Oldfield was beaten by veteran England world championships representative George Mudge in the Blades final, and the winner of the England National in which Smith was third was Adam Berry.

Results featuring Kiwi competitors at the Royal Bath and West Show:

Golden Shears UK Senior final (10 sheep): John Malseed (Bristol, England), 10min 20sec, 39.3pts, 1; Tegwyn Bradley (Woodville, NZ) 8min 40sec, 40.5pts, 2; Ross Thomson (Dawlish, England) 10min, 40.8pts, 3; Ash Jones (Llangollen, Wales) 9min 28sec, 41.1pts, 4; Gilles Grancher (France) 10min 5sec, 43.45pts, 5; Owen Davies (Presteigne, Wales) 10min 42sec, 44.4pts, 6.

Golden Shears UK Intermediate final (8 sheep): Trent Hewes (Glen Murray, NZ) 11min 4sec, 46.575pts, 1; James Lewis (Hereford, England) 12min 39sec, 49.2pts, 2; Jake Crabb (Launceston, England) 12min 40sec, 50.25pts, 3; Richie Paulsen (Glen Murray, NZ) 10min 45sec, 52.375pts, 4; Ben Doggrell (Sherborne, England) 11min 9sec, 54.075pts, 5; Brook Hamerton (Ruawai/Hastings, NZ) 13min 22sec, 56.225pts, 6.

Golden Shears UK Blades final (5 sheep): George Mudge (England) 18min 30sec, 79pts, 1; Allan Oldfield (Geraldine, NZ) 18min 55sec, 84.65pts, 2; Clive Hamer (Llanidloes, Wales) 20min 5sec, 90.95pts, 3; Rheinallt Hughes (Wales) 21min 40sec, 100.7pts, 4; Edward Goodfellow (England) 22min 46sec, 101.3pts, 5; Andrew Wear (England) 25min 48sec, 105.7pts, 6.

English National final (20 sheep): Adam Berry 17min 41sec, 64.05pts, 1; Stuart Connor 17min 53sec, 64.15pts, 2; Matt Smith (NZ) 17min 34sec, 64.5pts, 3; Antony Rooke 18min 37sec, 68.4pts, 4; Jon Roberts 10min 10sec, 71.85pts, 5; Dean Nelmes 19min, 76.1pts, 6.