MEDIA RELEASE

On behalf of Shearing Sports New Zealand

February 26, 2012

King conquers shears favourite in big week shakedown

Hawke’s Bay shearer Dion King and King Country icon David Fagan set the scene for possibly one of the greatest Golden Shears this week when they dominated the Pahiatua Shears Open final today.

For King it was a third win in a week, and for Fagan the sixth time runner-up in four weeks, but both down new in-form hope and Hawke’s Bay-based Northlander Rowland Smith and reigning Golden Shears champion John Kirkpatrick, of Napier.

King won the race shearing 20 sheep in 16min 49.09sec, beating Fagan off the board by 18 seconds, and also kept up the shearing-board quality to eventually take the win by 0.862pts.

With Whanganui shearer Jerome McCrea claiming another meritable third placing, Smith had to settle for fourth place in an unsuccessful bid to complete a weekend triple-header after winning the Taumarunui Jamboree Shears on Friday and the Apiti Sports final on Saturday, his seventh win in a month.

Southland shearer Darin Forde was fifth and sixth was Kirkpatrick, who had been the TAB’s Golden Shears Open championship favourite for four years until forced to lower Smith’s odds earlier yesterday.

Raetihi shearer Krishane Edmonds won the senior final, in which English shearer Ross Crang was fourth and Frenchman Daniel Boillot was fifth, the Intermediate final also featured two overseas shearers in Dean Nelmes, of England, and Pauline Bolay of Canada, who were third and sixth respectively behind winner Mario Taumata, of Taumarunui, and the Junior final was won by Golden Shears southern hope, Andrew Leith, of Dipton.

Results of the Pahiatua Shears on Sunday, February 26:

Open final (20 sheep): Dion King (Hastings) 16min 49.09sec, 61.354pts, 1; David Fagan (Te Kuiti) 17min 7.32sec, 62.216pts, 2; Jerome McCrea (Whanganui) 17min 43.96sec, 64.998pts, 3; Rowland Smith (Ruawai) 17min 23.47sec, 65.324pts, 4; Darin Forde (Winton) 17min 51.74sec, 68.037pts, 5; John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 17min 17.1sec, 69.405pts, 6.

Senior final (10 sheep): Krishane Edmonds (Raetihi) 11min 23.54sec, 45.677pts, 1; Tysson Hema (Waipukurau) 11min 39.24sec, 47.262pts, 2; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 11min 23.87sec, 47.994pts, 3; Ross Crang (England) 11min 39.97sec, 48.498pts, 4; Daniel Boillot (France) 12min 42.97sec, 50.748pts, 5; Steven Hanson (Eketahuna) 12min 24.78sec, 52.839pts, 6.

Intermediate final (6 sheep): Mario Taumata (Taumarunui) 8minm 0.93sec, 1; 36.713pts, 1; Michael Rolston (Levin) 8min 9sec, 36.783pts, 2; Dean Nelmes (England) 7min 23.96sec, 37.198pts, 3; Sarah Goss (Kimbolton) 8min 18.39sec, 37.42pts, 4; D.J.Crawford (Gisborne) 8min 56.45sec, 39.822pts, 5; Pauline Bolay (Canada) 9min 21.59sec, 43.413pts, 6.

Junior final (5 sheep): Andrew Leith (Dipton) 8min 12.24sec, 35.212pts, 1; Terence Durdy (Gisborne) 8min 16.08sec, 39.204pts, 2; Dylan McGruddy (Masterton) 8min 48.93sec, 39.446pts, 3; Ethan Pankhurst (Masterton) 10min 26.37sec, 42.118pts, 4; Paul Hodges (Geraldine) 9min 32.76sec, 42.438pts, 5; Marshall Guy (Kaeo) 9min 7.6sec, 43.78pts, 6.ENDS;