Leon Samuels, winner of the Aria Waitangi Day Sports Open shearing title on Saturday, pictured shearing into third place
24 hours later at the Rangitikei Shearing Sports North Island Championships in Marton. Photo / SSNZ
Worries about low wool prices, a shortage of shearers in the woolshed and the daily uncertainty of the coronavirus
crisis were able to be put aside for the holiday weekend with big turnouts for three shearing and woolhandling
competitions in the central North Island.
The Dannevirke A and P Show shears in Southern Hawke’s Bay on Friday, the Aria Waitangi Day Sports in southern King
County on Saturday, and the Rangitikei Shearing Sports North Island championships on Sunday each attracted over 100
shearers and woolhandlers.
It started promisingly at Dannevirke with 99 shears and 49 woolhandlers, the Aria entry of 110 shearers and woolhandlers
was close to the township’s 2018 census population of 129, and entries peaked at Marton with 101 shearers, and 54
woolhandlers, including record Novice entries of 19 shearers and 17 woolhandlers.
Competitors travelled from as far as Kaiwaka in Northland and Invercargill in the south.
Also on Saturday were the Northern Kaipara A and P Show Shears at Paparoa, and sole South Island Waitangi Day weekend
event the Reefton Shears at the Inangahua A and P Show in Reefton, both on Saturday.
The unique three days of both shearing and woolhandling on successive days at three separate venues in the central North
Island became possible after Rangitikei shears organisers gave-up their traditional first Saturday of February spot to
avoid a clash with the Aria sports, which are always on Waitangi Day.
The show committee then initiated the MKM Mini Circuit, for Novice, Junior and Intermediate shearers and Novice and
Junior woolhandlers, sponsored by Manawatu Knitting Mills and with the top four in each grade across the three shows
winning a MKM 36.6 wool/possum mix jersey.
It attracted 38 entries at $20 a head for the circuit in addition to individual show entry costs and three days of
travel and accommodation, with committee member and shearer/woolhandler Jimmy Samuels saying: “It did exceed
expectations…A lot more entries than I thought…”
The three days provided plenty of opportunity, with particular highlights for Invercargill shearer Leon Samuels,
Masterton woolhandler Samantha Gordon and Northland teenager Hamu Henderson.
Samuels, who leapt into prominence last February with wins in the Otago Shears and South Island Shearer of the Year
finals before shearing to third place in his first Golden Shears Open final, had his first Open win in the North Island
by beating a World-class lineup at Aria on Saturday – thought to be the first win by a South Island shearer in a North
Island Open-class strongwool final for at least a decade.
Gordon’s triumph in Marton on Sunday was her first Open woolhandling win, and one of six wins for Paerata Shearing crew
during the weekend, with brothers Joseph and Adam winning Intermediate titles at Dannevirke and Aria respectively,
workmates Chris Dickson and Kyle Mita winning Senior titles at Aria and Marton respectively, and the Gordons’
brother-in-law and boss, Paerata Abraham., winning Aria Cosmopolitan Club speedshear on Saturday night.
Henderson won on his 14th birthday at Dannevirke and again the next day at Aria, being the only shearer or woolhandler
to win twice as 24 titles were decided at the three shows were shared among 23 competitors. Henderson was also one of
just to get maximum points in the circuit, based on heats points at the three shows, and his uncle, Toa Henderson, was
the only shearer to reach all three Open shearing finals.
Shearing Sports New Zealand Sir David Fagan said the competitor numbers reflected a keenness by competitors to enjoy
their sport and the fraternity at whatever the cost after losing a third of the calendar’s shows in the last 12 months
because of the coronavirus, but also the initiative of the Rangitikei Shearing Sports committee, headed by shearer Jacob
Moore in getting together the MKM circuit for the lower grades - with “obvious success.”
The shows, with the Rangitikei Open heats incorporating the fourth round of the National Shearing Circuit, were also
supported by top South Island shearers Leon Samuels, reigning circuit champion Angus Moore, from Marlborough, and former
circuit winner Nathan Stratford, of Invercargill, each of whom were among the nine shearers who made Open finals over
the three days.
Dannevirke convenor, farmer and 1995 Golden Shears Junior champion shearer Jane Leogreen said that despite the absence
of shearers from overseas, whose entry to New Zealand to work as been limited by Covid-response border controls, her
show attracted 13 more entries than last year.
Aria competition convenor and shearing contractor Mark Barrowcliffe said the shows had been an introduction to
competition for several from his crews, including nine who loaded up one of the vans and competed at all three venues.
Pongaroa farmer David Buick, hoping to become the first Wairarapa shearer to win the Golden Shears Open final, won the
Dannevirke Open final (his 6th win of the season), while defending seven-times Golden Shears champion Rowland Smith, of
Maraekaho won at Marton.
Reigning Golden Shears woolhandling champion Joel Henare, of Gisborne, won the Dannevirke Open woolhandling title but
was beaten at Aria by 2019-2020 No 1-ranked Open woolhandler Keryn Herbert, of Te Kuiti.
Winners at the three competitions were:
Dannevirke (Friday): Open shearing, David Buick (Pongaroa); Senior shearing, Reuben Alabaster (Taihape); Intermediate
shearing, Joseph Gordon (Masterton); Junior shearing, Hamu Henderson (Kaiwaka); Novice shearing, Sam Mathewson
(Martinborough); Open woolhandling, Joel Henare (Gisborne); Senior woolhandling, Jimmy Samuels (Marton); Junior
woolhandling, Te Whetu Brown (Wairoa); Novice woolhandling, Staci Hikawai (Dannevirke).
Aria (Saturday): Open shearing, Leon Samuels (Invercargill); Senior shearing, Chris Dickson (Masterton); Intermediate
shearing, Adam Gordon (Masterton); Junior shearing, Hamu Henderson (Kaiwaka); Novice shearing, Sean Fagan (Te Kuiti);
Open woolhandling, Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti); Senior woolhandling, Vinniye Phillips (Taumarunui); Junior woolhandling,
Topia Barrowcliffe (Piopio); Novice woolhandling, Sheena Maru (Marokopa).
Rangitikei (Sunday): Open shearing, Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho); Senior shearing, Kyle Mita (Masterton); Intermediate
shearing, Ellis Rees (Wales); Junior shearing, Michael Buick (Pongaroa); Novice shearing, Summer Pritchard (Pongaroa);
Open woolhandling, Samantha Gordon (Masterton); Senior woolhandling, Azuredee Paku (Masterton); Junior final, Rahera
Kerr (Hautupu); Novice final, Grace Croasdale (Masterton).