Shear Fagan amazing

Shear Fagan amazing

Amazing Fagan claims his own cup, and Otago win No 18

Shearing great David Fagan performed another of his never ceasing to amaze triumphs today when he won one of the country’s premier titles for the 18th time – at least a decade after he donated it’s winner’s cup because he didn’t think he’d be around the event much longer.

But the 53-year-old told the crowd that watched the Otago Championships final in a woolshed near Balclutha this wone definitely would be his last.

It gave him a career tally of 633 open final wins – the first having been the Otago title in 1983. But it had been 11 years since he last won the title in Balclutha.

“You always remember those first wins,” said Fagan, “It really put the fire in my belly for the future, and here we are.”

Having announced recently he will retire from competition shearing after the New Zealand Championships in home-town Te Kuiti on April 7-9, the five-times World individual champion made his intention clear today on the opening sheep of the five-man final of 20 sheep each.

He was first into the catching pen for No 2, and staged a keen race with 2012 World champion, and Whangamomona-based Scotsman Gavin Mutch, who ultimately finished first in 18min 9.37sec.

Mutch beat Fagan by just nine seconds, but the the superior quality of Invercargill shearer Nathan Stratford, who finished in 18min 36.15sec, gave him the second-place ribbon, Fagan winning by just 0.29pts.

It reinforced Fagan’s TAB favouritism to win a 17th Golden Shears open in Masterton next month, although he has not won the coveted title since 2009.

Last year’s winner and runner-up, Hawke’s Bay shearers and 2014 World Championships representatives Rowland Smith and John Kirkpatrick, did not compete.

There was another sign of a changing guard in the shearing sports when 2012 World Woolhandling champion Joel Henare, of Gisborne won the New Zealand Woolhandler of the Year final for a sixth time. In 2012, at the age of 20, he completed a string of five-consecutive wins in the event,he was runner-up in 2013 and last year, and today he announced it could, too, be his last, with he had fiancé Eria Reti having decided to move to Australia at the end of the season.

Results from the Otago Shears shearing and woolhandling championships, held at Telford Farm, Balclutha,on Saturday-Sunday, February 13-14:

Shearing:

Open final (20 sheep): David Fagan (Te Kuiti) 18min 18.44sec, 64.67pts, 1; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 18min 36.15sec, 64.98pts, 2; Gavin Mutch (Whangamomona/Scotland) 18min 9.37sec, 65.82pts, 3; Troy Pyper (Invercargill) 18min 30.94sec, 66.8pts, 4; Angus Moore (Kaitangata) 19min 12sec, 67.65pts, 5.

Senior final (12 sheep): Dylan McGruddy (Masterton) 13min 38.88sec, 54.86pts, 1; Ethan Pankhurst (Masterton) 14min 23.94sec, 55.36pts, 2; Alun Jones (Corwen, Wales) 14min 59.19sec, 60.38pts, 3; Catherine Mullooly (Matawai) 16min 6.06sec, 64.05pts, 4; Jordan Boyes (Owaka) 15min 9.44sec, 66.89pts, 5.

Intermediate final (5 sheep): Marley Waihape (Mataura) 8min 11.12sec, 33.96pts, 1; Hugh De Lacy (Rangiora) 8min 33.02sec, 36.65pts, 2; Lionel Taumata (Gore) 7min 17.46sec, 38.67pts, 3; Luis Pincol (Porvenir, Chile) 7min 59.58sec, 39.38pts, 4; Pagan Rimene (Masterton) 10min 14.37sec, 40.92pts, 5.

Junior Final (4 sheep): Hemi Lambert (Raupunga) 6min 33.3sec, 29.42pts, 1; Ash Jones (Llangollen, Wales) 6min 33.83sec, 34.69pts, 2; Khochyce Forward (Hastings) 6min 24.61sec, 35.48pts, 3; Hayden Thornton (Raupunga) 8min 23.18sec, 39.16pts, 4; Rob Hubber (Winton) 5min 33.11sec, 47.66pts, 5.

Woolhandling:

New Zealand Woolhandler of the Year

Open final: Joel Henare (Gisborne) 360.97pts, 1; Kodi Hawkins (Martinborough) 409.75pts, 2; Tia Potae (Milton) 431.576pts, 3; Annemaree Kahukura (Omakau) 470.53pts.

Senior final: Stevie Mason-Smallman (Taihape) 298.1pts, 1; Ebony Turipa (Gore) 419.12pts, 2; Bodeesha Mason (Gisborne) 455.14pts, 3; Emma Kate Rabbidge (Glenham) 686.63pts, 4.

Junior final: Jaya-Deva Henry (Milton) 195.772pts, 1; Kahu Paul (Wairoa) 237.524pts, 2; Chiquita Tamepo (Gisborne) 266.39pts, 3; Tiana Smith (Milton) 285.08pts, 4.

South Island Circuit:

Open final: Pagan Rimene (Masterton) 131pts, 1; Juliette Lyon (Alexandra) 158pts, 2; Joel Henare (Gisborne) 160pts, 3; Keryn Herbert (Te Awamutu) 171pts, 4; Larnie Morrell (Masterton) 204pts, 5.

Senior final: Sarah Higgins (Havelock) 153.486pts, 1; Melanie Barrett (Invercargill) 196.954pts, 2.

Junior final: Chiquita Tamepo (Gisborne) 128.51pts, 1; Sharnie Newton (Gore) 129.746pts, 2.

Shearing and Woolhandling:

Teams: Just Us (shearers Nathan Stratford, Gavin Mutch; woolhandlers Dallas Mihaere, Keryn Herbert) 163.087pts, 1; KAOS (shearers Troy Pyper, Joe Tumohe; woolhandlers Pagan Rimene, Chiquita Tamepo) 221.397pts, 2; Phantom Panthers (shearers Simon Bradfield, Phoenix Hawkins; woolhandlers Kelly MacDonald, Annemaree Kahukura) 235.425pts, 3.

Woolpressing:

Teams: Ed and Tamihana Karauria (Gisborne) 80.591pts, 1; Monica Potae (Milton) and Joel Henare (Gisborne) 109.766pts, 2.

ENDS

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