Fagan in for the long haul to shear at Franklin A and P Show

MEDIA RELEASE

On behalf of Shearing Sports New Zealand

February 17, 2015

Fagan in for the long haul to shear at Franklin A and P Show

Shearing great David Fagan has confirmed he will make one of his 4000km weekend round trips to compete at the Franklin A and P Show in Pukekohe on Sunday.

Meeting a pledge to shear as many shows as he can before retiring in April, Fagan drives from his Te Kuiti home to Auckland on Thursday to flying to the South Island for the 50th anniversary Southern Shears in Gore.

He will have shorn in at least six events in the south before getting up at 4.45am on Sunday to hit the road for a flight back to get to the Franklin show's Counties Shears in the afternoon.

It’s a path he’s flown many times before, including each of the last three years when he’s reached the finals of both of the events, south and north, with fellow but younger high-flyers Rowland Smith and John Kirkpatrick.

Kirkpatrick is currently injured, and new World champion and defending Golden Shears and New Zealand champion Smith, having also won the last five Counties finals, is taking a break from competition shearing this season.

Significant crowds are expected at the Counties show, where shearing starts at 9.30am, with a new Novice event, followed by Junior, Intermediate and Senior heats, ad the Open.

Fagan’s events in Gore include a test match against Wales, an inter-island shearing match, the Southern Shears and South Island Shearer of the Year finals, and two speedshears.

ENDS

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