March 3, 2016
Surprise hope heads Welsh race for third Goldies junior title
A young Welsh farmer has drawn first blood chasing a third consecutive Golden Shears Junior shearing title by heading
the qualifier’s for Friday’s semi-finals.
Maredudd Pyrs, 20, from Petre-Foelas, Clwyd, is one of six shearers from Wales among the 18 qualifiers who emerged from
an entry of 64 shearing two sheep each on the opening day of the three-day 56th championships in Masterton
today(Thursday).
The goal will be a place in the six for Saturday afternoon’s final, and emulating the feats of Hefin Rowlands who made a
St David’s Day Golden Shears breakthrough for Wales in 2014 and Ash Jones who won the Junior title last year.
Two other semi-finalists are also from overseas _ Norway and Isle of Mann - highlighting the increasing number of young
shearers coming to and needed in New Zealand to shear the nation’s wool clip.
Pyrs far exceeded his expectations in getting near the top of the list, having shorn in only one other competition in
his two months in New Zealand and claiming little to write home about in the competitions of the UK.
But like several other young Welsh shearers, he attended a pre-Shears course last week in a woolshed at Shannon, south
of Palmerston North, rubbing shoulders with some of shearing’s more famous names and soaking-up the knowledge on such
things as gear preparation and competition judging requirements.
“It helped me a lot,” he said after today’s confidence-booster. “Some little things made the difference. I thought I’d
had a good shear.
Qualifiers for Friday’s Golden Shears Junior shearing semi-finals in order are: Maredudd Pyrs (Wales), Brandon
Maguire-Ratima (Winton), Connor Puha (Kimbolton), Cody Greig (Levin), Ruka Braddick (Eketahuna), James Webster
(Leeston), Sam Powell (Wales), Gwydion Davies (Wales), Jonny Rees (Wales), Sam Davison (Masterton), Anne-Lise Haugdahl
Humstad (Norway), Rhys Douglas (Wales), Jesse Barclay (Wyndham), Cologne McKinstry (Taumarunui), Trent Hewes (Pukekawa),
Jordan Hart (Blenheim), Michael Osborne (Isle of Man), Adam Edmonds (Wales).
ENDS