Fagan set for crack at 10th national series title

Shearing icon David Fagan has lined-up a chance to become New Zealand’s top multi-wools shearer for a 10th time by heading the qualifiers for the PGG Wrightson National during the Golden Shears in Masterton this week.

The 12 qualifiers-were named in Pahiatua yesterday after the last of five preliminary rounds throughout the country since the start of October.

In a swing against the trends of modern Open-class shearing competition, six are from the South Island, and only five from the North, although Scottish qualifier Gavin Mutch is based in the North Island. They shear in the semi-finals on Saturday morning, with the top six contesting the final a few hours later, a short while before the Golden Shears Open final.

Fagan, 49, will be aiming for his 22nd final in the event, which incorporates the McSkimming Memorial Triple Crown, first presented in 1973.

He first made the top six in 1984, the year he also qualified for the Golden Shears Open final for the first time, and won the National in 1986, 1988, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008, completing a National Final and Golden Shears Open Final double on five occasions.

The qualifiers include three other former winners in Southland veteran in four-times champion Darin Forde (1999, 2001, 2002, 2004), 2006 double winner Dion King, of Napier, and Rakaia shearer Tony Coster, the winner in the last two years.

Among the others is Waipawa shearer Cam Ferguson who reached both of the two big finals for the first time last year, winning the Golden Shears Open and finishing third in the National, a pointer to his eventual World Championship triumph in Wales.

To qualify, shearers were awarded points based on their placings in the heats of the compulsory first round New Zealand Merino championship in Alexandra, and the New Zealand Spring Shears in Waimate, the national corriedale championships at the Canterbury Show, the national lamb-shearing championships in Raglan and yesterday’s Pahiatua Shears, on second-shear sheep. Reverting to points based only on speed and quality, each semi-finalist will shear four merinos and four second-shear ewes, while the six in the final will each shear three merinos, three half-breds, three long-wool sheep, three second-shear ewes and three lambs. The fastest time for the 15 sheep in the current format introduced about 15 years ago is thought to have been the 16min 2.7sec shorn by Forde in 2002.

The PGG Wrightson National Shearing Series semi-finalists in order of qualifying are: David Fagan (Te Kuiti), Nathan Stratford (Invercargill), Grant Smith (Rakaia), Cam Ferguson (Waipawa), Alton Devery (Tuatapere), Tony Coster (Rakaia), Darin Forde (Winton), Adam Brausch (Dannevirke), Gavin Mutch (Whangamomona and Scotland), Dion King (Napier), Paerata Abraham (Dannevirke).

ENDS