Young Guns In Charge On Goldies Opening Day

February 27, 2025

An 18-year-old has waited for a return to the old home town to claim the first individual title of the 63rd Golden Shears – her first win in competition.

Char Taylor, based in Cheviot and learning the craft in the woolsheds of North Canterbury, won the Novice woolhandling final today (Thursday), the first day of the three-day championships.

The daughter of woolhandler Kelly Paku (from Masterton) and shearer Johnny Taylor, it was just her third competition and she had to overcome most the lack of familiarity with the environment around her, competing in front of a crowd of at least 400 people in a venue built in the late 1950s as a sports stadium.

“I was nervous,” she said. “It’s so different from working in the woolsheds.”

The runner-up was Riria (Lydia) Moanaroa, of Eketahuna, third was Autumn Amoroa, of Whakatane, and fourth was Piata Eruera, of Eketahuna.

Taylor was in charge throughout, being top qualifier in the heats and then the semi-finals, among a field which started with 24 young woolhandlers, including entrants from England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Mongolia.

The Novice shearing final was won by 15-year-old FAHS Feilding High School student Hnter Wigglesworth, who first shore on the farm of parents Aaron and Hayley Wiglesworth, near Marton.

He’s followed the competitions throughout the season, finishing second at the Taranaki Shears in November third at the Rangitikei Shearing Sports, and scored his first win at the Pahiatua Shears last Sunday.

First to finish the final of two sheep each was Angus Monk, of Masterton, shearing 4m 48.388s, but had to settle for third place behind Wigglesworth and runner-up Ben Solomann, from Taupo.

The first event of any sort decided at the championships was the Student Shearing Challenge, with teams from farm or shearing training courses, won by Bradley Anderson and Jordan Miles, of Smedley Station in Central Hawke’s Bay. Wigglesworth partnered with schoolmate Cody Hall for FAHS to take second place.

RESULTS of finals in the day sessions on the first day o the 63rd Golden Shears inn Masterton:

Shearing:

Student Shearing Challenge (2 sheep relay): Smedley Station (Bradley Anderson/Jordan Miles) 5m 14.011s, 22.201pts, 1; FAHS Feilding High School (Hunter Wigglesworth/Cody Hall) 6m 2.299s, 25.115pts, 2; Pukemiro Station (Holly Bird/Ben Solomann) 7m 59.632s, 31.468pts, 3; Pukemiro Station (Oliver Selby/Sam Short) 8m 21.152s, 31.558pts, 4; Elite Wool Industry Training (Charlie Bennett/Charlie Kjestrup) 7m 50.009s, 34.5pts, 5; Otiwhiti farming school (Ngahuia Salmond/Jared Topless) 6m 42.962s, 36.648pts, 6.

Golden Shears Novice final (2 sheep): Hunter Wigglesworth (Marton) 5m 28.593s, 23.43pts, 1; Ben Solomann (Taupo) 6m 8.43s, 25.422pts, 2; Angus Monk (Masterton) 4m 48.388s, 26.419pts, 3; Jess Gooding (Featherston) 7m 25.279s, 27.264pts, 5; Charlie Kjestrup (Weber) 5m 54.984s, 27.749pts, 5; Cody Hall (Hawera) 6m 59.451s, 30.473pts, 6.

Woolhandling:

Golden Shears Novice final: Char Taylor (Masterton/Cheviot) 101.858pts, 1; Riria Moanaroa (Eketahuna) 114.362pts, 2; Autumn Amoroa (Whakatane) 131.258pts, 3; Piata Eruera (Eketahuna) 148.67pts, 4.

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