Wrap And Full Results From The 2023 Golden Shears International Shearing Championships

March 4, 2023

The eighth win for Rowland Smith - still the dream

Champion shearer Rowland Smith achieved the goal he’d set all season when he won an eighth Golden Shears Open shearing title in Masterton tonight.

Capping three days of a fever-pitched return of Golden Shears after two years of pandemic cancellations, and taking a break from driving his tractor in the Hawke’s Bay cyclone recovery, Smith won the right to represent New Zealand at the 2023 Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Scotland on June 22-25, where among the toughest opposition will be brother expatriate kiwi Matt Smith, representing England.

Rowland Smith, who won the World title in 2014 in Ireland and 2017, claimed tonight’s victory by more than three points from runner-up and Marlborough shearer Angus Moore, despite being only third off the board after a classic race for time honours on stand 1, 2, and 3.

A time points deficit of over one point was nothing against the trademark quality of the two-metres giant, who seemed always in control despite having to settle I for the

Moore, in the Open final for the first time, but having earlier in the night won the multi-breed PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit final for a third time, bolted into the lead on the second sheep, and remained in front until the eighth when Masterton shearer Paerata Abraham hit the front and, shearing at a consistent pace of a little over 40 seconds a sheep, stayed there till the end, finishing in 15min 43.88sec..

It revived memories of Abraham’s only previous Golden Shears Open final, when he cleared the 20 sheep in 15min 50.234sec in 2016.

The fastest time final of all was when David Fagan shore 15min 27.4sec in 2003 with John Kirkpatrick second off the board in 15min 43.8sec, when they were ultimately winner and runner-up respectively.

Third place went to near-perennial beaten finalist and Invercargill shear Nathan Stratford, despite being last to finish, in 16min 57.959sec.

Fourth was first-time finalist Hemi Braddick, of Eketahuna, Abraham was fifth and four-times winner Kirkpatrick was sixth.

Joel Henare, from Gisborne but living with his three children in Motueka, justified hot TAB favouritism to win a ninth-consecutive Golden Shears Open woolhandling title a wide margin from runner-up Keryn Herbert, of Te Kuiti.

Henare was unavailable for World championships selection, leaving what became one of the closet finals ever in a woolhandling final as four others fought out a team selection final.

The two positions were claimed by Candi Hiri of Gore and Ngaio Hanson of Eketahuna, with less than a point covering the first three places, just-cutting Foonie Waihape, of Alexandra, out of the trip to Edinburgh.

Hanson’s performance was one of three putting both Eketahuna and her family on the map. She’s the sister of Open shearing finalist Hemi Braddick and Open woolhandling third-placegetter Ana Braddick.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand shearing team of southern trio Stratford, Stacy Te Huia and Leon Samuels staged an amazing comeback to win a transtasman shearing test against Australian visitors Daniel McIntyre, Nathan Meaney and Sam Mackrill.

The black singlets had been given a sound beaten in the season’s first test in Bendigo, Vic, in November, but sprung the surprises by being in charge over the six merinos each that comprised the first half of the contest, followed by the New Zealand breed fullwools and second-shears.

The TAB had favoured the Australians, but it became payback also for the previous night’s surprise win over New Zealand in a woolhandling test.

Among lower grade triumphs, 21-year-old Abby Curnow, of Bendigo, Vic, is the new Junior woohandling champion, becoming the first Australian to win a Golden Shears woolhandling title in the 38-years since woolhandling was added to the Shears’ ribbon parade in 1985.

It also made it a double of the Junior titles for Australia, after 18-year-old Tyron Cochrane, of Goodooga, NSW, won the Junior shearing title on Friday, the first Australian to win a New Zealand Golden Shears title since John Allan’s Intermediate victory at the Golden Shears’ inception in 1961.

The Senior woolhandling title on Saturday was won by Rahera Kerr, of Hauturu, the Senior shearing final was won by Clay Harris, of Piopio, and the Intermediate shearing final was won by Will Sinclair, of Balclutha, both backed by recent winning form.

In the woolpressing, Masterton’s Goodger brothers again battled for men’s singles title, with Jeremy scoring a 14th win, claiming the title back from brother Vinnie, winner four time in a row from 2017 to 2020.

The women’s title was won for the first time by Savannah King, of Eketahuna, beating eight-times winner Fiona Healy in the final.

RESULTS from the 61st Golden Shears International Shearing Championships at the War Memorial Stadium, Masterton on Thursday-Saturday March 2-4, 2023:

Transtasman shearing test (12 sheep - 6 merinos, 3 long wool, 3 second-shear): New Zealand (Leon Samuels 15min 55.799sec, 65.957pts; Nathan Stratford 17min 53.382sec, 68.003pts; Stacey Te Huia 16min 2.991sec,69.65pts) 203.61pts beat Australia (Sam Mackrill 17min 11.512sec, 69.992pts; Nathan Meaney 18min 6.205sec, 70.31pts; Daniel McIntyre 17min 28.975sec, 70.449pts) 210.751pts.

Transtasman woolhandling test (8 fleeces): Australia (Racheal Hutchison, Mark Purcell) 282.3pts, 1; New Zealand (Cushla Abraham, Angela Stevens) 309.7pts, 2.

Wools of New Zealand Shearing Sports New Zealand World Championships woolhandling selection series final: Candi Hiri (Gore) 111.92pts, 1; Ngaio Hanson (Eketahuna) 112.46pts, 2; Foonie Waihape (Alexandra) 112.48pts, 3; Jasmin Tipoki (Martinborough/Napier) 165.28pts, 4. Candi Hiri and Ngaio Hanson will be the two woolhandlers to represent New Zealand at the World Championships in Edinburgh on June 22-25.

Shearing:

Open final (20 sheep): Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 16min 6.801sec, 52.64pts, 1; Angus Moore (Ward) 16min 2.184sec, 55.609pts, 2; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 16min 57.959sec, 55.698pts, 3; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 16min 10.131sec, 56.357pts, 4; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 15min 43.848sec, 56.592pts, 5; John Kirkpatrick (Hastings) 16min 56.583sec, 58.629pts, 6.

Senior final (12 sheep): Clay Harris (Piopio) 13min 2.892sec, 44.645pts, 1; Adam Gordon (Masterton) 13min 4.634sec, 44.649pts, 2; Cory Tiwai Barrowcliffe (Piopio) 13min 7.988sec, 44.982pts, 3; Te Ua Wilcox (Gisborne) 13min 30.571sec, 45.779pts, 4; Joseph Gordon (Masterton) 13min 3.326sec, 45.916pts, 5; Paul Swann (Wairoa) 13min 49.341sec, 48.134pts, 6.

Intermediate final (8 sheep): Will Sinclair (Balclutha) 10min 11.604sec, 36.705pts, 1; Dalton Tangiwai (Pahiatua) 11min 1.001sec, 39.175pts, 2; Sam Green (England) 10min 15.076sec, 39.254pts, 3; Jack Pringle (Balclutha) 11min 11.919sec, 40.971pts, 4; Tini Papanui (Feilding) 10min 56.809sec, 41.465pts, 5; Jacob Taylor (Dannevirke) 9min 30.019sec, 43.626pts, 6.

Junior final (5 sheep): Tyran Cochrane (Goodooga, NSW) 7min 16.889sec27.044pts, 1; Jake Goldsbury (Waitotara) 6min 30.912sec, 29.746pts, 2; Cody Waihape (Gore) 8min 46.864sec, 31.543pts, 3; Emma Martin (Gore) 9min 10.982sec, 32.749pts, 4; Dan Rogers (Raetihi) 8min 39.114sec, 32.756pts, 5; Ryka Swann (Wairoa) 7min 43.711pts, 33.586pts, 6.

Novice final (2 sheep): Maaka Nikora (Taumarunui) 3min 26.084sec, 20.304pts, 1; William Clarkson (Martinborough) 4min 13.344sec, 21.667pts, 2; Flyn Innes (Martinborough) 3min 54.901sec, 22.745pts, 3; Stirling McKelvie (Tikokino) 3min 47.936sec, 23.397pts, 4; Tom Clarkson (Martinborough) 4min 5.628pts, 23.781pts, 5; Ged Biling (Masterton) 7min 23.272sec, 29.664pts, 6.

PGG Wrightson Vetmed National shearing Circuit final (15 sheep – 3 merino wethers, 3 fullwool, 3 corriedale, 3 lambs, 3 second-shear): Angus Moore (Seddon) 17min 24.33sec, 65.416pts, 1; Leon Samuels (Invercargill) 17min 22.7sec, 66.535pts, 2; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 18min 40.485sec, 67.624pts, 3; Stacey Re Huia (Alexandra) 18min 13.408sec, 69.804pts, 4; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 18min 56.99sec, 69.917pts, 5; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 19min 41.469sec, 74.082pts, 6.

Maori-Pakeha Teams (8 sheep): David Gordon (Masterton) and Jacob Moore (Marton) 62.270pts, 1; Whakapunake (Naki) Maraki (Flaxmere/Feilding) and Paul Hodges (Geraldine) 68.326pts, 2; Reuben Alabaster (Taihape) and Matthew Hunt (Waikaka) 69.588pts, 3.

Women’s Invitation (6 sheep): Pauline Bolay (Canada) 28.71pts, 1; Laura Bradley (Papatawa) 29.054pts, 2; Emily Te Kapa (Scotland) 32.25pts, 3; EmmaMartin (Gore) 38.982pts, 4; Lydia Thomson (Rangiora) 40.706pts, 5; Amy Silcock (Tiraumea) 43.658pts, 6.

Student Shearing Challenge (2 sheep): Smedley (Scott O’Connor/Benazzi Ward) 3min 56.319pts, 1; Pukemiro (Zach Hall/Renee Garrett) 7min 26.627sec, 30.831pts, 2; Feilding High School (Camden Bolton-Smith/George Peacock) 6min 39.103sec, 32.955pts, 3; Napier BHS (James Robinson/Max Free) 5min 17.349sec, 33.367pts, 4; Palmerston North Boys High School) 6min 11.211sec, 35.561pts, 5; Growing Future Farmers (George Parke/Ella McMillan) 5min 47.145pts, 6.

Speedshear:

Open: Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 18.49sec, 1; Jimmy Samuels (Marton) 19.11sec, 2; Hugh De Lacy (Rangiora) 19.218sec, 3; Stu Connor (England) 20.192pts, 4.

Senior: Clay Harris (Piopio) 22.15sec, 1; Allan Oldfield (Geraldine/Hurr Valley) 22.41sec, 2; Jeff Winders (Invercargill) 24.694sec, 3; Jayden Mainland (Wellsford) 4.

Woolhandling:

Open final: Joel Henare (Gisborne/Motueka) 149.76pts, 1; Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti) 207.6pts, 2;Ana Braddick (Eketahuna) 248.8pts, 3; Jasmin Tipoki (Martinborough/Napier) 260.82pts, 4.

Senior final: Rahera Kerr (Hauturu) 154.5pts, 1; Emma Martin (Gore) 174.24pts, 2; Vinniye Phillips (Taumarunui) 187.987pts, 3; Amy Bell (Weber) 203.8pts, 4.

Junior final: Abby Curnow (Bendigo, Vic) 84.74pts, 1; Tatijana Keefe (Raupinga) 132.46pts, 2; Jolie Orcher (Goodooga, NSW) 150.7pts, 3; Lucy Elers (Mataura) 152.88pts, 4.

Novice final: Eleri Bradley (Woodville) 63pts, 1; Crystal Newton (Piopio) 72pts, 2; Bryndyll Pinkham (Taumarunui) 76.6pts, 3; Ana Mason (Masterton) 115.4pts, 4.

North Island Circuit Open final: Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 103.5pts, 1; Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti) 115.86pts, 2; Ngaio Hanson (Eketahuna) 158.4pts, 3; Jasmin Tipoki (Martinborough/Napier) 195.86pts, 4.

Woolpressing:

Men (weight target 170kg): Jeremy Goodger (Masterton) 165.5kg, 46.45pts, 1; Vinnie Goodger (Masterton) 164kg, 53.1pts, 2.

Women (target weight 150kg): Savannah King (Eketahuna) 147.5kg, 63.35pts, 1; Fiona Healy (Masterton) 146.5kg, 65.9pts, 2.

Novice (target weight 170kg): Daniel Lewis (Masterton) 157.5kg, 66.95pts, 1; Hoanni Wipaki (Milton) 149kg, 79.7pts, 2.

Pairs (target weight 170kg): Vinnie and Jeremy Goodger (Masterton) 174kg, 25.3pts, 1; Cona Harmon and James Goodger (Masterton) 174.5kg, 32pts, 2.

Triathlon

Teams

YFC Shearing and Woolhandling (3 sheep): East Coast 1 (shearers Hemi Bradick, Ruka Braddick; woolhandlers Marika Braddick, Ana Braddick) 7min 11sec, 141.5pts, 1; Taranaki/Manawatu (shearers Joseph Gordon, David Gordon; woolhandlers Shya Gordon, Samantha Gordon) 7min 2sec, 152.6pts, 2; East Coast 2 (shearers Lionel Taumata,Naki Maraki; woolhandlers Taijana Keefe, Ngaira Puha) 7min 16sec, 209.4pts, 3.

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