Open woolhandling title winner Joel Henare (centre), Pagan Karauria (front, 3rd), and Kelly Macdonald (rear, 4th). Photo / Sally Brooker
Open woolhandling title winner Joel Henare (centre), Pagan Karauria (front, 3rd), and Kelly Macdonald (rear, 4th). Photo / Sally Brooker
New Zealand won the transtasman blade shearing test and the New Zealand woolhandling champion won his third consecutive title at the Waimate Shears on Saturday.
The 51st annual two-day shears at the Waimate showgrounds attracted strong entries across its categories, which began with woolhandling at noon on Friday. That culminated on Saturday afternoon with the open section win to Joel Henare, who splits his time between Gisborne and Motueka.
A highlight of the programme was the test between Kiwi blade shearers Tony Dobbs, of Fairlie, and Allen Gemmell, of Rangiora, and their Australian rivals Johnathon Dalla and Ken French. The New Zealanders finished 13.63 points ahead.
In the machine shearing, the open section was won by Invercargill's Nathan Stratford. The open novice final went to Ethan Pankhurst of Masterton, ahead of local lad Corey Smith.
Waimate Shears organiser Warren White said there was a really good crowd at the Friday night Speed Shears, and he was delighted with the support shown by a large audience throughout Saturday.
This was the second year the shears were held in the purpose-built pavilion constructed in conjunction with the Southern Canterbury A&P Association.
Kaya Henare (2), from Ohai, was eager to help out after watching her mother, Amber Poihipi, competing in the woolhandling at the Waimate Shears on Saturday. Photo / Sally Brooker
International: Transtasman blade shearing (4 sheep): New Zealand 103.882pts (Tony Dobbs 12min 38.36sec, 47.918; Allen Gemmell 13min 29.28sec, 55.964) beat Australia 117.515 (Johnathon Dalla 14min 50.78sec, 54.539; Ken French 15min 54.53sec, 62.9765) by 13.633.
Spring shears: Open final (16 sheep): Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 17min 38.87se, 56.631, 1; David Buick (Pongaroa) 17min 44.53sec, 58.914, 2; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 17min 7.81sec, 59.453, 3; Cam Ferguson (Waipawa) 16min 38.63sec, 59.869, 4; Aaron Haynes (Feilding) 17min 50.89sec, 61.7945, 5; Ant Frew (Pleasant Point) 18min 54.62sec, 65.7935, 6.
Open Novice final (10 sheep): Ethan Pankhurst (Masterton) 13min 1.13sec, 45.7565, 1; Corey Smith (Waimate) 12min 45.52sec, 47.076, 2; Corey White (Rakaia) 12min 30.22sec, 47.411, 3; Willy McSkimming (Taumarunui) 13min 12.78sec, 48.739, 4; Phoenix Hawkins (Rakaia) 14min 42.85sec, 50.5425, 5; Jarrod Morgan (Waimate) 15min 29.25sec, 56.1625, 6.
