Waimate Spring Shears: Most of New Zealand team in action at event

New Zealand blade shearing representative Tony Dobbs in action at Waimate, where the 56th annual event starts today. Dobbs will be shearing a transtasman test in Australia on October 20. Photo / SSNZ

Most of the seven members of the new New Zealand transtasman shearing and woolhandling team are expected to be in action at the Waimate Spring Shears today and tomorrow.

Selection of the team was completed last weekend when the Shearing Sports New Zealand season of 60 competitions, through to early April, started at the New Zealand Merino Shears in Alexandra.

The team is machine shearers Angus Moore, of Ward, and Invercargill shearers Nathan Stratford and Leon Samuels, woolhandlers Cushla Abraham, of Masterton, and Tia Potae, of Kennedy Bay township Harataunga, and blades shearers Tony Dobbs, of Fairlie, and Allen Gemmell, of Lowburn.

Gaining selection by wins and placings in specified events, all seven have previously represented New Zealand.

They will provide an experienced team for the Australian leg of the annual home-and-away tests, on October 20, at the Australian National Shearing and Woolhandling Championships at Jamestown, South Australia.

The Waimate Spring Shears, incorporating the New Zealand Spring Shearing and Woolhandling Championship, provide the first competition of the season for junior, intermediate and blades shearers - in addition to the senior and open grades and open, senior and junior woolhandling - which were contested at Alexandra.

The open shearing incorporates the second round of the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit, which has attracted 27 entries, and other events include the New Zealand Open and Senior Winter Comb Shearing Championships and the finals of the South Island open, senior and junior woolhandling circuits.

Competition starts at 7 am on both days, with the final in the winter comb shearing and woolhandling culminating today’s programme and all other finals on Saturday.

The first competitions in the North Island will be shearing and woolhandling at the Poverty Bay A and P Show the following weekend when there will also be shearing competitions at the Ellesmere A and P Show in Canterbury.