The Rowly Show Starts Rolling Again

Champion Hawke’s Bay shearer Rowland Smith heralded his return to competition by winning the Dannevirke A and P Show Open final on Friday.

Smith hadn’t competed since returning from the 2023 World championships, held in Scotland last June, leaving some wondering if he’d be back on the scene in the new season.

The former Northland shearer was last to finish the four-man final over 20 sheep each but the quality held the day in an eventual win by just 0.15 points from runner-up and current Northland hope Toa Henderson, who won the race in 15min 40sec, just six days (and a trip home to Kaiwaka and back) after also going under 16 minutes in winning at Taihape last Saturday (January 27).

Third and fourth placegetters Hemi Braddick and Southern Hawke’s Bay-based Scotland international and former Golden Shears and World champion Gavin Mutch each finished in 16min 1sec, while Smith clocked 16min 34sec.

It was his seventh Dannevirke win in the last eight years it’s been contested and came just four weeks before a now-anticipated return to Masterton to defend the Golden Shears Open title he’s won eight times in the nine years it’s been contested since his first win in the major event in 2013.

In his 18th season in the Open class he’s won at least 177 finals, including the 2014 World title in Ireland.

In other shearing events, Te Ua Wilcox, of Gisborne, continued on a winning way in the Senior final, young West Australian shearer Danielle Mauger won the Intermediate final by more than four points from runner-up Rhys Morris, from Wales, edging out first New Zealand shearer and third-placegetter Tini Papanui, of Feilding, by 0.15pts, the Junior final was won by Marshall Buckman, of Apiti, and the Novice final was won by Irish shearer Kevin Noone.

New Zealand and Cook Islands World championships representative Keryn Herbert, of Te Kuiti, backed-up from a win at Taihape to win the Dannevirke Open woolhandling title for s third time, having won previously in 2009 and 2014. Second was Hawke’s Bay show winner Ngaira Puha, of Kimbolton, and third was Ricci Stevens, of Napier, husband of 2020 Dannevirke Open winner Angela Stevens.

The Senior woolhandling final was won by Te Whetu Brown, from Wairoa, the Junior by Palmerston North nurse Eleri Bradley, and the novice by Gemma Buick, of Pongaroa.

The championships attracted a big base of 201 entries, comprising 135 shearers and 66 woolhandlers, a small number competing in both shearing and woolhandling, and most of them moving on to the Rangitikei Shearing Sports North Island Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Marton today (Saturday)..

RESULTS of the Dannevirke A and P Show Shearing and Woolhandling Championships on Friday, February 2, 2024:

Shearing:

Open final (20 sheep): Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 16min 34sec, 57.6pts, 1; Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 15min 40sec, 57.75pts, 2; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 16min 1sec, 59.85sec, 3; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Dannevirke) 16min 1sec, 66pts, 4.

Senior final (10 sheep): Te Ua Wilcox (Gisborne) 9min 45sec, 39.35pts, 1; Laura Bradley (Papatawa)10min 9sec, 40.55pts, 2; Bruce Grace (Wairoa/Napier) 10min 43sec, 41.45pts, 3; Forde Alexander (Taumarunui) 9min 37sec, 41.95pts, 4.

Intermediate final (5 sheep): Danielle Mauger (Mullalyup, West Australia) 7min 31sec, 27.35pts, 1; Rhys Morris (Wales) 7min 29sec, 31.45pts, 2; Tini Papanui (Feilding) 6min 8sec, 31.6pts, 3; Jake Goldsbury (Waitotara) 6min 3sec, 36.15pts, 4.

Junior final (3 sheep): Marshall Buckman (Apiti) 4min 58sec, 23.23pts, 1; Ewan Davies (Newchurch, Wales) 4min 55sec, 24.42pts, 2; Kaivah Cooper ( Napier) 4min 48sec, 27.4pts, 3; Lachie Cameron (Kimbolton) 28.45pts, 4.

Novice final (1 sheep): Kevin Noone (Donegal, Ireland) 3min 24sec, 22.2pts, 1; Ashlin Swann (Wairoa) 3min 50sec, 22.5pts, 2; Grady Collis (-) 5min 41sec, 25.05pts, 3; Waiari Puna (Napier) 3min 41sec, 30.05pts, 4.

Woolhandling:

Open final: Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti) 27.818pts, 1; Ngaira Puha (Kimbolton) 29.35pts. 2; Ricci Stevens (Napier) 41.056pts, 3.

Senior final: Te Whetu Brown (Wairoa/Napier) 41.28pts, 1; Vinniye Phillips (Taumarunui) 46.94pts, 2; Whakapunake (Naki) Maraki (Flaxmere) 49.85pts, 3.

Junior final: Eleri Bradley (Papatawa/Palmerston North) 28.932pts, 1; Kelly Barrett (Kawhia) 37.18pts, 2; Mere Maraki (Flaxmere) 50.376pts, 3.

Novice final: Gemma Buick (Pongaroa) 45.544pts, 1; Caitlin Murphy (-) 47.44pts, 2; Mared Jones (Lampeter, Wales) 71.5pts, 3.

© Scoop Media