Favoured gun Smith wins third Golden Shears Open
World champion shearer Rowland Smith lived up to the tag of overwhelming favourite to win his third Golden Shears Open
title in Masterton tonight.
It was a particularly controlled effort from the 29-year-old Hawke’s Bay gun who in contrast to many of his recent wins
was just third off the board, as new finalist Paerata Abraham and best local Wairarapa hope David Buick tried win the
final by the only way possible – speed.
It was Abraham, from Dannevirke but now living in Masterton, who won the race, his 15min 50.234sec thought to be the
third fastest time in the 56 years of the final of 20 second-shear sheep, beaten only by David Fagan’s 15min 27.4sec and
John Kirkpatrick’s 15min 43.8sec when they were winner and runner-up in 2003.
Abraham, the shortest in the final, beat the two-metres-tall Smith and three other finalists by more than a sheep, and
scored the best quality points, a standard Abraham let slip in his race for the pace, ending with him being placed 6th
in the final count.
It was Smith’s 28th win in 31 finals dating back to his second Golden Shears Open win in March 2014. Taking a break from
competition shearing, Smith did not compete at the Golden Shears last year, but is now in full swing chasing a place in
the Shearing Sports New Zealand team to defend his World title in Invercargill in February next year.
Ultimately, second place went to Napier shearer John Kirkpatrick, the most prolific runner-up in the event’s history but
who also has won the title four times.
Meanwhile, Canterbury courier run driver Tony Coster scored the South Island’s biggest win of the championships by
successfully defending the PGG Wrightson National Circuit title, by winning 15 sheep all-breeds final for a fifth time.
Gisborne’s Joel Henare set a record for the most consecutive Golden Shears Open woolhandling finals in what was possibly
the strongest final field since the event was introduced to the Golden Shears programme in 1985.
ENDS