MEDIA RELEASE-updated version

On behalf of Shearing Sports New Zealand

March 27, 2011

Rowland pins big shears hopes

Far North shearing giant and rising Open competition star Rowland Smith restated his chances of winning a first New Zealand Championship when he beat all of the favourites at the Taranaki Shears in Stratford today.

Although just beaten off the board in a race won by Te Kuiti's Digger Balme, who shore his 20 sheep in 15 minutes, Smith scored one of the season's wider Open final winning margins in the final count. He beat runner-up Cam Ferguson, the current World champion, by almost four points, with King Country icon David Fagan third. Whanganui's Jerome McCrea was next, Balme suffered in the quality points judging and had to settle for fifth, and sixth was home-town hero Paul Avery.

It was the 25-year-old Smith's fourth big Open final win of the season, and second since finishing second to Napier's John Kirkpatrick in the Golden Shears Open final on March 5. A showdown with the 40-year-old Kirkpatrick today dissipated when the favourite failed to make the six-man final, missing-out by just one place in what was the first time he'd missed the cut this season.

With 15 wins in 22 finals, Kirkpatrick is still expected to be a warm favourite with the TAB to win his third New Zealand Open title this week in Te Kuiti, where Smith was a surprise runner-up to Fagan last year. It was a big day for Northland shearers, with Bevan Guy, of Kaeo, beating Golden Shears winner Matene Mason, of Masterton, to win the Senior final, and youngest brother Marshall Guy winning the novice final.

Another brother, Bryce, was runner-up in the Junior final to Kimbolton youngster Simon Goss, whose sister, Sarah, was second in the Intermediate final won by Fagan's son, Jack. Six-months-pregnant former World champion Sheree Alabaster, of Taihape, won the Open woolhandling final, in which World teams champions partner Keryn Herbert, of Te Awamutu, was second.

The senior woolhandling final was won by Emaraina Braddick, of Eketahuna, with Emma Bolton, of Taihape, second, and the junior woolhandling final was won by Feilding's Monique Taylor, who was also third in the novice shearing final.

The weekend's other scheduled event, the Waitomo Caves Sports in the King Country, was cancelled on Saturday because of rain.

Results: Shearing: Open final (20 sheep): Rowland Smith (Ruawai) 1 Cam Fegruson (Waipawa) 2, David Fagan (Te Kuiti) 3, Jerome McCrea (Whanganui) 4, Digger Balme (Te Kuiti) 5, Paul Avery (Stratford) 6. Senior final: Bevan Guy (Kaeo) 1, Matene Mason (Masterton) 2, Mohi Gray (Waipukurau) 3. Intermediate final: Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 1, Sarah Goss (Kimbolton) 2, Cody Beck (Taumarunui) 3. Junior final: Simon Goss (Kimbolton) 1, Bryce Guy (Kaeo) 2, Michael Rolston (Levin) 3. Novice final: Marshall Guy (Kaeo) 1, Josh Balme (Te Kuiti) 2, Monique Taylor (Feilding) 3. Woolhandling: Open final: Sheree Alabaster (Taihape) 1, Kerryn Herbert (Te Awamutu) 2, Dallas Mihaere (Dannevirke) 3. Senior final: Emaraina Braddick (Eketahuna) 1, Emma Bolton (Taihape) 2, Catherine Christey (Te Awamutu) 3. Junior final: Monique Taylor (Feilding) 1, Connor Puha (Kimbolton) 2, Helga Sinclair (-) 3.

ENDS