New Zealand Merino Shearing Championships

MEDIA RELEASE

On behalf of Shearing Sports New Zealand

September 30, 2015

New Zealand Merino Shearing Championships

Photo: West Australian shearer Damien Boyle winning his first New Zealand Merino Shearing championship in Alexandra in 2010. He's back this week, going for six in a row.

Aussie set to shake the moccs in Central Otago

An Australian champion has New Zealand shearers shaking in their moccasins as he zeroes-in on a sixth consecutive win in New Zealand’s only finewool shearing championship this weekend.

When Damien Boyle won the final last year, at the New Zealand Merino Championships in Central Otago shearing capital Alexandra, it was just after an operation and a cancer scare which had him wondering whether he’d ever shear again.

But there’re no worries this year for the 37-year-old eho at the weekend bagged another double at the Royal Perth Show, about 320km northwest of hometown Tambellup.

Bypassing the opportunity to shear for Australia in a transtasman test and the Australian national championships in Hamilton, Vic., he won the Perth show’s Open final for a 19th time time and also figured in a West Australia state team’s merino shearing match against New Zealand guns Nathan Stratford, of Invercargill, and Colin O’Neill, of Alexandra.

“I can’t be shearing too bad,” said Boyle, who shears using a sling for back support. “I must be fitter than I was this time last year. I’ll try to make the final, and see what happens next.”

Boyle will be one of about 180 competitors at the two-day, Friday-Saturday Alexandra event which opens the Shearing Sports New Zealand season of about 60 shows through to the start of April.

It is unique in New Zealand not only as the season’s only finewool event but also because woolhandlers, competing in Open, Senior and Junior classes, will outnumber shearers, competing in just the Open and Senior classes.

Over $14,000 in prizes is at stake, while heats of the Open shearing also constitute the first of five qualifying rounds in New Zealand’s major all-breeds event, the PGG Wrightson National, incorporating the McSkimming Memorial Triple Crown.

Recent winners of the championship events::

Shearing:

Open: 2007 Joe Paewai, 2008 James Fagan, 2009 Nathan Stratford, 2010 Damien Boyle (Australia), 2011 Damien Boyle, 2012 Damien Boyle, 2013 Damien Boyle, 2014 Damien Boyle

Senior: 2007 Shaun O’Neill, 2008 Maaka Rangiuaia, 2009 Scott Perry (Australia), 2010 Jock O’Neill, 2011 Shane Lamont, 2012 Brett Roberts, 2013 Te Atakura Crawford, 2014 Cody Beck

Woolhandling:

Open: 2007 Joanne Kumeroa, 2008 Joel Henare, 2009 Tina Rimene, 2010 Taiwha Nelson, 2011 Joanne Kumeroa, 2012 Joel Henare, 2013 Amy Ruki, 2014 Joel Henare

Senior: 2007 Jayne Griffin (Australia), 2008 Wendy Parsons, 2009 Krystal Wilson, 2010 Sharni Graham, 2011 Keri Henare, 2012 Kodi Hawkins, 2013 Kyle Wihongi, 2014 Sharnie Keefe

Junior: 2007 Molly Kidd, 2008 Katie Hurley, 2009 Ngahuia Thwaites, 2010 Denise Murray, 2011 Stevie Mason-Smallman, 2012 Raylene Johnston, 2013 Ruby O’Neill, 2014 Clarissa Lewis.

ENDS

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